THE Patriots of Senegal party (Pastef) is poised to win a parliamentary majority as main opposition leaders conceded defeat today.

The snap election was called by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to give him a parliamentary majority to enable him to carry out the ambitious reforms he promised during his campaign.

Former president Macky Sall, leader of the main opposition Takku Wallu coalition, congratulated Pastef in a post on the X social media platform. 

Two other major opposition leaders had already conceded defeat hours after the polls closed on Sunday.

The official results and number of seats won by each party will be published later this week.

Pastef held 56 of 165 seats in the National Assembly before Sunday’s legislative election, while Sall’s coalition had a slim majority of 83 seats.

President Faye, who was elected in March on an anti-Establishment platform, said the lack of a majority had prevented him from executing reforms he pledged during his campaign, including fighting corruption, reviewing fishing permits for foreign companies and securing a bigger share from the country’s natural resources for the population.

Mr Faye became Africa’s youngest elected leader in March, less than two weeks after he was released from prison. The former tax inspector’s rise has reflected widespread frustration among Senegal’s youth with the country’s direction.