VZCZCXRO3219
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0489 0611150
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021150Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7710
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAKAR 000489 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AF/PDPA, DRL/AE AND INR/AA 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PINS PGOV SG
SUBJECT: A COMBATIVE WADE BLAMES SECK AND MEDIA FOR NEGATIVE IMAGE 
OF SENEGAL; SAYS PROSECUTIONS TO COME 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (SBU) Within a few minutes of the announcement of preliminary 
official results, newly reelected President Abdoulaye Wade hosted a 
two-hour press conference in front of the media, his cabinet and the 
entire diplomatic corps.  Rather than being magnanimous in victory, 
Wade blamed former Prime Minister and second-place finisher Idrissa 
Seck for the negative image the media paints of Senegal.  Wade 
concluded the press conference by saying that Seck will not return 
to being his political heir.  Wade also said the judiciary had 
suspended legal proceedings against Seck and other key opposition 
figures to avoid detracting from the campaign, but, with the 
campaign over, legal proceedings will resume.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MEDIA AND OPPOSITION TO BLAME 
----------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) President Wade used his first post-election news 
conference to come out swinging.  He began by acknowledging the 
serious discrepancy between what observers and the media had 
predicted and the actual vote on February 25.  Wade blamed national 
and international media and opposition leaders for painting a very 
negative image of Senegal in general and of Wade and his government 
in particular.  Wade noted that the incident at Dakar's Le Regal 
restaurant was the only serious incident during the campaign. 
Highlighting how calmly people had voted, Wade contrasted that with 
the image the media and opposition had painted of a Senegal on the 
verge of revolt.  Wade asserted that no international newspaper 
wrote honestly and objectively about Senegal in the run-up to the 
election. 
 
PROMISES, PROMISES 
------------------ 
¶3.  (U) Wade insisted he had kept his promises.  He said democracy 
in Senegal has also progressed, and he thanked youth and women for 
their overwhelming support.  He acknowledged the cost of living is 
high, but said Senegalese like his record.  He then asked for a 
majority in the June 3 National Assembly elections.  With Prime 
Minister and campaign manager Macky Sall at his side, he said there 
would be no major cabinet changes until after the legislative 
elections. 
 
CORRUPTION: WHO'S REALLY CORRUPT? 
--------------------------------- 
¶4.  (U) Wade then launched into what seemed to be his principal 
message: he and his son are not corrupt.  His government audited the 
Socialist Government's accounts; he established an anti-corruption 
commission; his government prosecuted and imprisoned eight treasury 
inspectors for corruption; and he dismissed and brought corruption 
charges against former Prime Minister and long-time ally, Idrissa 
Seck.  He blamed Seck for painting a negative image of Senegal at 
home and abroad.  Saying judicial proceedings had been dropped to 
avoid distracting from the presidential campaign, Wade said new 
charges are coming.  Then he dropped a political bombshell, holding 
up a handwritten letter from Idrissa Seck, dated December 29, 2005, 
in which Seck agrees to repay 7 billion CFA francs (CFAF) (USD 14 
million) in embezzled political funds following his release from 
jail (which occurred in February 2006). 
 
CORRUPTION GOES BEYOND SECK 
--------------------------- 
¶5.  (U) Wade then leveled old accusations against other opposition 
leaders: 
 
-- He accused Amath Dansokho, the Mayor of Kedougou of 
embezzlement; 
-- Wade accused former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Moustapha 
Niasse of selling passports to Chinese citizens and of illegally 
buying his home on Dakar's Corniche; and 
-- Wade accused Socialist party leader and third-place finisher 
Tanor of having illegally sold licenses to Chinese fishermen. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6.  (SBU) Far from magnanimous in victory, President Wade made it 
very clear he is tired of criticism of him and his record.  He 
intends to go after those who have besmirched him and his son, 
Karim, and he especially intends to demonstrate that Idrissa Seck is 
unfit to ever become President of Senegal. 
 
¶7.  (U) Visit Embassy Dakar's classified website at 
http://state.sgov/p/af/dakar. 
 
JACOBS