Territorial Assembly elections were held in Senegal on 31 March 1957.[1] The result was a landslide victory for the Senegalese Popular Bloc (BPS), which won 47 of the 60 seats. Its main competitor, the MSA-affiliated Senegalese Party of Socialist Action (PSAS) had aliented the marabouts and enabled the BPS to win the rural vote (over which the marabouts held an important sway) by far.[2]
Electoral system edit
The elections had been called after the adoption of the Loi Cadre in 1956, which instituted a system of semiautonomous governments in the different colonies of French West Africa.[3]
Campaign edit
Whilst most other Territorial Assembly elections were dominated by affiliates of the African Democratic Rally (RDA), the Senegalese elections saw a clash between the Senegalese parties affiliated to the African Convention (CA) and the African Socialist Movement (MSA) respectively.[4]
The CA-affiliated BPS had evolved out of the Senegalese Democratic Bloc just before the elections. In the run-up to the elections the BPS leader Léopold Sédar Senghor had a more socialist and nationalist discourse, attracting various trade unionists and leftwing intellectuals to join the BPS leadership.[3]
Results edit
One MP from Kédougou was elected from one of the various regional lists that contested the polls.[5] No women were elected to the assembly.[6]
 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
| Senegalese Popular Bloc | 449,844 | 78.04 | 47 | |
| Senegalese Party of Socialist Action | 66,458 | 11.53 | 12 | |
| Regional lists | 58,465 | 10.14 | 1 | |
| Others | 1,631 | 0.28 | 0 | |
| Total | 576,398 | 100.00 | 60 | |
| Valid votes | 576,398 | 99.18 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 4,770 | 0.82 | ||
| Total votes | 581,168 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,063,946 | 54.62 | ||
| Source: De Benoist[5] | ||||
Aftermath edit
After the elections, BPS selected Ibrahima Seydou N'Daw from Kaolack as the chair of the Assembly.[2]
References edit
- ^ Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1978) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Zweiter Halbband, p1858
- ^ a b Roche, Christian. Le Sénégal à la conquête de son indépendance: 1939-1960 : chronique de la vie politique et syndicale, de l'Empire français à l'indépendance. Hommes et sociétés. Paris: Karthala, 2001. p. 180
- ^ a b Boone, Catherine. Merchant Capital and the Roots of State Power in Senegal, 1930-1985. Cambridge studies in comparative politics. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press, 1992. p. 85
- ^ Chafer, Tony. The End of Empire in French West Africa: France's Successful Decolonization? Oxford: Berg, 2002. p. 210
- ^ a b Joseph-Roger de Benoist (1982) Afrique occidentale française de 1944 à 1960, p544
- ^ Fayé Kassé, Aminata. Women in Politics in Senegal Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine