At stake in this election:

• 140 seats in the National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Abdou DIOUF
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM
• Assembly: Senegal has a unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) with 140 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 7-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the president.
• In the National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), 70 members are elected by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms and 70 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Socialist Party (PS)
  • Leader: Ousmane Tanor DIENG
  • Seats won in this election: 93
  • Seats won in last election: 84
• Party: Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS)
  • Leader: Abdoulaye WADE
  • Seats won in this election: 23
  • Seats won in last election: 27
• Party: Democratic Renewal (JEF-FEL/USD)***
  • Leader: Djibo KA
  • Seats won in this election: 11
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: African Party for Democracy and Socialism (AND-JEF)
  • Leader: Landing SAVAN
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 1
• Party: Democratic League/ Movement for the Party of Labor (LD/MPT)
  • Leader: Abdoulaye BATHILY
  • Seats won in this election: 3
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: Democrats and Patriots-Garab-Gi (CDP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Front for Socialism and Democracy/Benno Jubel
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Democratic Party of Senegal/ Renovation (PDS/R)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Party of Independence and Labor (PIT)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: National Democratic Rally (RND)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Coalition of Centrists Gainde (BCG)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

*** party formed since last election

Last Parliamentary election:

• Legislative elections were last held on May 9, 1993.
  120 seats were decided on in the last election to the National Assembly.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 9,386,923 (1998)
• Registered Voters: 3,164,827 (May 1998)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,751,655 (1998)

·         Is Senegal a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (29 July 1980)

·         Has Senegal ratified CEDAW: Yes (5 February 1985)

·         Gender Quota: Yes[2]

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 17 (following the 1998 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 170 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Senegal a signatory to CRPD: Yes (25 April 2007)

·         Has Senegal ratified CRPD: Yes (7 September 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 1,408,038 (est.)