afrol News, 24 January - The former Prime Minister of Senegal remains tight-lipped over the details of his reconciliation tête-à-tête with President Abdoulaye Wade, despite promises to brief the media about it on Tuesday. Idrissa Seck, a popular opposition figure and promising presidential candidate, according to President Wade had rejoined the ruling party.
But he decides to snub the news-hungry journalists who remain adamant in their quest to unearth his unexplained reasons for making a ruling party comeback, especially at an unexpected time. He had postponed his scheduled news conference sine die.
President Wade, who is described as a political dinosaur in Senegal, is luring his political opponents into his ruling Parti Democratique Senegalaise (PDS) camp one by one. He left people with open mouths on Monday when he announced that one of his main challengers in the 25 February presidential elections, Idrissa Seck, agreed to sacrifice his new party, Rewmi and rejoined the PDS.
Mr Seck, the third Prime Minister of the Wade government, was sacked from his post and jailed for over six months after he was accused of being corrupt and threatening state security. He was however later cleared of the charges brought against him.
The ex-PM had all along seen himself as the victim of political vendetta because his problems with his political father, President Wade, started immediately he had declared his intention to run President in 2007 while still serving as Prime Minister.
President Wade is making good use of Mr Seck's example to urge on the party's many disintegrated old members to follow suit.
Yesterday, two veteran opposition leaders - Morr Fada Diagne and Jean Paul Dias of Waar wi ("the Field") coalition and Block Centrisea Gaindé (BCG) - who had been old members of Mr Wade's party announced their reconciliation with the aging President.
Mr Dias was one of the earliest members of PDS but later parted and created BCG. He was twice jailed by the Wade government, the last for purportedly threatening President Wade.
Mr Fada on the other hand was a very close political ally of Idrissa Seck and even became Minister of Environment when the latter was Prime Minister. He slid back from power when Mr Seck was sacked.
"We discussed in the presence of our delegations," Mr Dias said, emphasising that their common interest was to defend the interest of Senegal in general, especially when it faces several problems.
He said since they all belong to one country, there is need for them to protect the interest of their nation. Thus, political unity was needed ahead of elections.
It is reported that Mr Fada was lured by President Wade through the intervention of Madické Niang, current Minister for Energy, Industries and Mining. Political analysts believed that gauging from his tone, it would not be difficult for him to return to Mr Wade, the man he had been supporting since he was 19 years of age. "They are like a father and son," Dakar resident Mr Tall told afrol News.
By staff writer
© afrol News
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