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Wade Takes Oath As Senegalese President

Wade Takes Oath As Senegalese President
April 1, 2000

DAKAR, Senegal (PANA) - Abdoulaye Wade (74) took the oath Saturday afternoon in Dakar as Senegal's third president since independence from France in 1960.

The moving swearing in ceremony was witnessed by thousands of people, including several African heads of state.

Wade told the crowd that he had decided to hold the swearing ceremony in the Leopold Sedar Senghor stadium to symbolically mark an end to the solitary management of public affairs by a "small circle" of people.

The previous oath-taking ceremonies were held inside parliament or the constitutional council.

Wade, who persevered as opposition leader for 26 years before becoming president, commended Senegalese voters for changing the country's administration using the ballot.

He said demonstrated to the entire world that democracy "was accessible to Senegalese people and Africans as a whole" provided there is patience.

In a special message, Wade urged the youth, who massively voted to propel him to power, to be more serious in the construction of a democratic Senegalese society of solidarity.

Wade particularly urged the youth to work hard to muster new information technologies, including the Internet.

On the African front, the new president expressed his backing for the concept of African Renaissance as well as the African Union mooted during last September's extraordinary summit of the Organisation of African Unity in Syrte, Libya.

Earlier, Wade had taken the oath before the five- member Senegalese Constitutional Council chaired by its president, Justice Youssoupha N'diaye.

"I swear before the Senegalese nation to fully exercise the duty of president of the Republic of Senegal, to abide by and ensure the scrupulous observance of the constitution and laws, devote all my energy in the defence of constitutional institutions, territorial integrity and national independence and to spare no efforts in the realisation of African unity."

The swearing ceremony was witnessed by presidents Omar Bongo of Gabon, Blaise Compaore (Burkina Faso), Robert Guei (Cote d'Ivoire), Alpha Oumar Konare (Mali), Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (Mauritania), Yahya Jammeh (Gambia) and Kumba Yala of Guinea Bissau.

Also present was Nigeria's last military ruler, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubacar, former Algerian president Ahmed ben Bella and Morocco's Crown Prince, Moulay Rachid and the French co-operation minister, Charles Josselin.

Before Wade's maiden speech, a choir sang "the hymn of Africa" personally composed by the leader of the former opposition Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS).

After the swearing-in ceremony, Wade headed for the State House, Avenue Leopold Sedar Senghor in central Dakar, for a hand-over ceremony with his predecessor, Abdou Diouf, who had ruled Senegal since 1981 when he took over from Leopold Sedar Senghor.