Senegal: Youssou Ndour enters politics, exchanges words with ruling PDS
Senegal’s top international music star Youssou Ndour is poised to enter into national politics and abandon the musical stage.
The Senegalese music icon, who owns one of the country’s biggest private media outfits—radio, newspaper and cable TV - announced recently that he would be entering active politics, as he launched his new political movement.
Called “Fekke Ma Ci Boule” in his native Wolof language meaning, I’ve witnessed the situation, so I have to be part of it, the singer made the announcement in the same breath with the launch of an attack on President Abdoulaye Wade’s government, accusing it of bad governance and engaging in “lavish” spending.
But the ruling Democratic Party of Senegal (PDS) has dismissed Ndour’s claim and said his entering into politics was no threat to the party’s support base, ahead of the February 2012 presidential election.
“It is not good for him, because he’s campaigning in a new area, which is very, very bad for people who don’t have experience about politics, managing people and managing a country,” PDS Spokesman Babacar Gueye told WADR in an interview on Wednesday.
As WADR’s Alpha Jallow reports, Youssou Ndour said he would call off concert dates to enter politics starting 2 January 2012, one month before what is expected to be a hotly contested presidential election as incumbent President Wade is expected to seek another mandate.
Click audio below to listen to Alpha’s report Tweet
