20120215
AFP
Senegal's police on Tuesday blocked youths from settling in a square in Dakar where they planned a permanent sit-in to protest President Abdoulaye Wade's bid to run for a third term in February polls.

Scores of police were deployed on and around Obelisk Square, preventing members of rapper-led youth movement "Fed Up" from gathering for their protest.

"All arrangements were made, the prefect (of Dakar) was informed, but when we arrived the police prevented us from accessing the square. We don't understand," said Ousmane Ndiaye, a spokesman for the organisers.

Two founding members of the movement, the rappers Simon and Kilifeu, briefly appeared at the end of the afternoon to announce the sit-in was being cancelled and a few dozen youths hanging around the square dispersed.

The sandy palm-fringed square has been the scene of protests in recent weeks against Wade's candidacy in the February 26 polls, a move the opposition says is unconstitutional as he has already served two terms as president.

Wade, 85, argues that changes to the constitution in 2008 mean he can serve two more mandates. The validation of his candidacy by the highest court on January 27 sparked deadly riots, leaving four dead.

Despite national anger and criticism from abroad, Wade has remained defiant, campaigning energetically throughout the country and promising development and ambitious programmes.

The June 23 Movement (M23) which initially fiercely protested Wade's candidacy, declaring themselves united in unseating him, seems to have run out of steam amid individual vote lobbying less than two weeks before elections.

A spokesman for the movement nevertheless announced a fresh march was to take place in central Dakar on Wednesday.

The M23 group plans to march from the Medina neighbourhood to Independence Square, which is close to the presidential palace and where the authorities have consistently banned opposition rallies.

"We are going to hold our march tomorrow, nobody can stop us," M23 coordinator Alioune Tine said. "We condemn the Senegalese administration's biased attitude. At this rate, it will end up being responsible for violence."

Wade is facing 13 opposition candidates, including two of his former prime ministers and the leader of the opposition Socialist Party, Ousmane Tanor Dieng.