Incumbent forced into second round presidential polls

Veteran politician Abdoulaye Wade might finally get a shot as Senegal's president if projections confirm the need for a second round run-off poll against incumbent Abdou Diouf, political analysts told IRIN. "According to projections, there will be a second round of elections," El Hadj Mbodj, a member of the National Electoral Observatory, told IRIN on Tuesday. Diouf's Parti Socialiste (PS) said he failed to secure the necessary 50 percent votes to win the tightly-fought first round poll on Sunday. The PS claims Diouf won 43 percent of the votes and Wade 30 percent, but figures from other sources vary. Provisional results are for release on Friday. Then, the constitutional court will meet three days later to confirm the results. If the court determines the necessity for a second round of elections, that run-off will be held on the second Sunday after the declaration of final first round results. Elections monitor Alioune Tine, the executive secretary of the Rencontre Africaine pour la defense des droits de l'homme, told IRIN that in the event of a second round Diouf can expect a stiff fight. Moustapha Niasse, who is considered the third strongest candidate, has said he would not support Diouf in a second round contest. The other significant Diouf opponent, Djibou Ka, has not yet said who he will support in a second round face-off.