The Constitutional Court of Senegal confirmed on Wednesday that the country’s presidential election will be held on March 24. The court ruled that the date proposed by the National Dialogue Commission, June 2, was not in conformity with the Constitution and its earlier decision in February.

Last month, the parliament voted to postpone the election until December in a bill submitted by the president of Senegal, Macky Sall. The move sparked widespread protests and confusion throughout the country as the election was initially set for February 25. However, the Constitutional Court overturned the parliament’s decision, deeming it unconstitutional.

Previously, the court had requested Senegalese authorities set the date as soon as possible. The National Dialogue Commission convened for that purpose and proposed a date of June 2. This date falls after the constitutionally mandated end of Sall’s presidency. The court responded, ruling that the elections must be held before President Sall’s term ends on April 2, overturning the proposed Jue 2 date. It also stated that fixing the election date beyond the end of Sall’s mandate creates an institutional vacuum not provided for by the Constitution. Article 36 of the Senegalese Constitution requires that the incumbent president remain in office until the installation of his successor. This means President Sall will remain in office until a new president is elected.

The Constitutional Court also ruled that the duration of the president’s mandate could not be reduced or extended regardless of political circumstances. The court confirmed that the president has informed the Council of Ministers of the new date for the presidential election.