PRETORIA, February 6. /TASS/. Senegal’s parliament has approved a move to postpone the West African country’s presidential election from February 25 to December 15 and extend incumbent Senegalese President Macky Sall’s powers, which were to expire on April 2, the Senego news website reported.

According to the media outlet, debates over the relevant bill were accompanied by violent protests from opposition lawmakers. As a result, the parliamentary speaker called in gendarmes, who removed the most active opposition legislators from the chamber as they were blocking access to the rostrum. The remaining 105 parliament members voted in favor of postponing the election. Notably, some opposition lawmakers supported the pro-government faction, which had argued for the need to preserve stability in the country.

Sall said in a televised address to the nation on February 3 that he was postponing the presidential vote due to "confusion with candidates." In response, the opposition accused the head of state of "a constitutional coup" and called for protests. The first protest took place in Dakar, the country’s capital, on February 4. Law enforcement officers dispersed the demonstrators, arresting some of them. On Monday, an opposition rally was held in front of the parliament building. It was also dispersed by the gendarmerie.