Senegal’s President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye has pledged to govern with humility and transparency, in his first speech after Sunday’s poll.
Mr Faye’s main rival from the governing coalition, Amadou Ba, has already conceded defeat, setting the stage for the 44-year-old political newcomer to become the youngest president in the country’s history.
‘’By electing me, the Senegalese people have chosen to break with the past,” he told journalists on Monday.
“I promise to govern with humility and transparency.”
One of his main priorities as president will be “national reconciliation” following three years of unrest and a political crisis in the country, Mr Faye added.
He also vowed to “fight corruption at every level”, rebuild institutions and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Faye thanked outgoing President Macky Sall for helping to conduct a successful poll.
The Constitutional Council is yet to officially announce the final results, but there are celebrations across the country.
The provisional results put Mr Faye in a strong lead with about 53.7% and Mr Ba with 36.2%.
His victory comes less than two weeks after he was released from jail.
