The Senate of Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

has been the upper house of the Parliament of Senegal

Parliament of Senegal

The Parliament of Senegal is the country's bicameral national parliament. It was unicameral before 1999 and from 2001 to 2007; between 1999 and 2001 and since May 2007, the otherwise unicameral National Assembly of Senegal was only the parliament's lower house, with the indirectly elected Senate...

 from 1999 until 2001 and again since 2007.

History and elections

The Senate was initially established during the presidency of Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf

Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...

 in 1999, but in 2001, after Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade

Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...

 won the previous year's presidential election, it was abolished with the introduction of a new constitution

Senegalese constitutional referendum, 2001

The Senegalese constitutional referendum was held on 7 January 2001 to approve a new constitution for Senegal. It was the third referendum since Senegal became independent and resulted in an overwhelming yes vote...

. It was established again in 2007 with 100 seats: 65 appointed by the president and 35 elected by about 12,000 deputies and local councillors. The ruling Senegalese Democratic Party

Senegalese Democratic Party

The Senegalese Democratic Party is a political party in Senegal. The party considers itself a liberal party and is a member of the Liberal International. Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal's president, is the party's leader...

 (PDS) won 34 of the 35 elected seats in the senatorial election held on August 19, 2007; one seat, for Vélingara Department

Vélingara Department

Vélingara Department is one of the departments of Senegal, located in the Kolda Region....

, was won by And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism

And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism

The And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism is a socialist political party in Senegal led by Landing Savané....

 (AJ/PADS). Five other groups participated but did not win seats. Most of the main opposition parties boycotted the senatorial election, as they did the June 2007 National Assembly election

Senegalese parliamentary election, 2007

Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election on 25 February 2007, but were postponed. 14 parties or coalitions participated in the election, in which the composition of the National Assembly, with...

.

Following the election, the Senate was installed on September 26, 2007, and Pape Diop

Pape Diop

Pape Diop is a Senegalese politician and a leading member of the Senegalese Democratic Party who has been President of the Senate of Senegal since 2007. He was Mayor of Dakar, the capital city, from 2002 to 2009, as well as President of the National Assembly of Senegal from 2002 to 2007.Diop was...

was elected as its President on October 3.