Senegal Debates Election Delay Amid Clashes

Senegalese lawmakers debated an unprecedented move to delay this month's presidential election, which sparked clashes outside parliament and has prompted international concern.

Security forces used tear gas to disperse small groups of opposition protesters outside the National Assembly.

Demonstrators chanted "Macky Sall dictator" in reference to the president after being scattered.

The sporadic clashes were a rare sight in the normally calm area of downtown Dakar, where police and security forces backed up by heavy vehicles were mobilized to protect parliament.

The mood in Senegal -- often viewed as a bastion of stability in coup-hit West Africa -- has been tense since Saturday when President Macky Sall announced a delay to the February 25 vote, just hours before campaigning was officially set to begin.

Opposition leaders have denounced the proposed delay as a "constitutional coup", saying it is an assault on democracy.

Violent street protests rocked the capital Dakar, during which two opposition candidates, including former prime minister Aminata Toure, were arrested and later released.

The government suspended mobile internet access, citing the dissemination of "hateful and subversive messages" on social media.

It was a repeat of a move last June, which saw mobile data restricted amid high tensions in the country. The measure has become a common response to curb mobilization and communication via social networks.

Parliamentarians later began considering a proposal for a delay of six months or even up to a year, until February 2025, according to the text distributed at the meeting.

The text -- adopted a day earlier by a preparatory committee -- is supported by MPs from Sall's party.

But it will need the support of three-fifths of the 165 deputies to pass and does not appear to be a done deal.