Pastel party only accepts ousmane sonko’s presidential bid

The PASTEF-Les Patriotes party has confirmed its provisional presidential candidate list following a rigorous review by the High Authority for Party Regulation (HARP). In a decisive move, the oversight body, led by Chairperson Mouhamadou Ngouda Mboup, declared only one candidacy valid: that of incumbent leader Ousmane Sonko. All seven competing applications were rejected due to administrative and regulatory discrepancies identified before the May 20, 2026 deadline.

Why were the other candidates rejected?

The HARP’s detailed report outlined multiple grounds for disqualification. Two candidates, Alassane Sow and El Hadji Moussa Gueye, faced automatic rejection after failing to meet membership fee obligations, directly violating Article 16 of the party’s internal statutes. Their overdue payments made their participation impossible under current regulations.

Other rejections stemmed from incomplete or defective submissions. Lat Grant Dione’s bid was nullified due to the absence of a mandatory declaration addressed to the HARP chair. Meanwhile, Pape Alioune Badara Gueye and El Hadji Madior Diop saw their applications annulled for missing critical identification details—either the reverse side of their National Identity Cards or their membership cards were not provided.

In a surprising turn, El Hadji Leyty Thiam formally withdrew his candidacy in writing, supported by notary verification and witnessed by HARP members, to endorse Ousmane Sonko’s bid instead.

Next steps: appeals and final decision

The HARP convened a special session on May 21, 2026, with Chair Mouhamadou Ngouda Mboup and members Fatimata Sira Sarr, Mamadou Salif Sané, and Baye Niasse, to initiate the appeals process. According to procedural rules outlined in Article 3 of the decision, candidates retain the right to file formal complaints until May 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Once this window closes and all disputes are resolved, the definitive list of presidential hopefuls for PASTEF will be finalized.