VZCZCXRO9096
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0828 1981427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161427Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0822
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAKAR 000828 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KDEM ECON SG
SUBJECT: WADE SEEKS TO EXTEND PRESIDENT'S TERM IN OFFICE 
 
¶1. SBU) Summary: On July 11, the Legislation Committee of the 
National Assembly approved a draft constitutional Amendment that 
will extend the President's term from five to seven years.  If 
approved by the Assembly plenary session in a week, it will still 
need to be passed by the Senate and subsequently by a Congress that 
will bring the two chambers together in a joint session.  The draft 
presented to the Assembly does not indicate that the law is 
retroactive and therefore would not apply to President Abdoulaye 
Wade's current term.  A senior PDS leader confirmed to Political 
Counselor that the change will not affect President Wade's current 
five-year term, due to end in 2012. END SUMMARY. 
 
Back to square one 
------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) When Wade was elected in 2000, the term was seven years. 
He reduced it in 2001 to five years through a new Constitution 
adopted by referendum.  2000 was a period of democratic euphoria 
when transparency and accountability were celebrated and a short 
term was believed to be more desirable.  A year after his reelection 
in 2007, Wade has changed his mind.  However, it not believed he is 
changing the term for his own benefit, to extend his current term. 
Instead, it is believed that by allowing his successor a seven-year 
term, he is seeking to impose a period of stability after he leaves 
power.   A senior PDS leader told Political Counselor that Wade is 
concerned about impunity for him and his family after he leaves 
office. 
 
Loopholes 
--------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Several amendments constitutional to solve political 
problems have resulted in legal vacuums.  Today there are at least 
five major constitutional amendments waiting to be ratified by the 
two chambers in Congress.  Since the creation of the Senate in 
February 2007, the National Assembly and the Senate must first vote 
separately in favor of the proposed amendment and then meet in 
Congress in a join session to vote final approval of the measure. 
The two chambers have not met in Congress because the there are no 
laws or rules regarding how the Congress will operate.  It is 
President Wade, and not the Constitution, who decided three days ago 
that the President of the Senate Pape Diop will chair the Congress. 
There is a legal vacuum as to whether the Congress can make 
amendments to laws being examined, all the Constitution states is 
that it passes laws by a majority of three fifths of its voting 
members.  The entourage of the President of the National Assembly 
Macky Sall told Embassy that by choosing his friend Diop to chair 
the Congress Wade wishes to circumvent and further weaken Sall, 
Wade's former prime minister who has fallen out of favor, whom he 
does not wish to succeed him. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The desire to seek impunity in view of all the 
allegationss of mismanagement and corruption under his tenure, seems 
to be a factor in Wade's succession strategy.  In 2000 Wade's first 
measure was to announce that he had pardoned his predecessor, 
President Diouf, and his family for any charges that could be 
leveled against them.  A senior PDS leader told Embassy that that 
Idrissa Seck, who may well be next President through elections could 
offer pardon to Wade but definitely not to Wade's son Karim.  In 
this regard, the amendment of Article seven may just be another step 
in Wade's strategy to orchestrate a succession that will appear 
legal while offering continuity of the system in place. 
SMITH