Senegal's president ahead as results trickle in

President Abdoulaye Wade led 14 contenders today as election officials began counting results from a vote many hoped would cement Senegal’s image as an example of democracy in Africa, despite its poverty.

Yesterday’s vote appeared to have proceeded calmly through most of the West African country, though military officials said rebels attacked some soldiers carrying ballot boxes in the still-restive southern region of Casamance Sunday night. One soldier died and two others were hurt, army officer Boubacar Sane said.

Sane said the army believed the attack was instigated by rebels “who were trying to oppose the presidential election.” However, he said the attackers were repelled and the ballot boxes stayed in army hands.

The incident occurred about 40 miles north-west of the regional capital of Zinguinchor, near the village of Vagarang.

The election is being widely watched as an indicator of how well Senegal’s leader fulfilled promises of streamlined government and economic opportunity in a poor country accused of significant corruption even as it has maintained peace and democratic handovers of power.

Early results reported by the state-run Senegalese Press Agency indicated that Mr Wade was in the lead but did not say by how much. It was not known how many votes had been counted, but the agency said Mr Wade was well ahead at some of the 12,000 polling stations across the country that had reported results, included the key cities of Dakar and Thies.

Mr Wade, 80, has presided over an era of peace rare in a tumultuous part of the continent, and the economy – though struggling by Western standards – is stronger than in many other African nations.

Still, unemployment stands at about 50 per cent and thousands of desperate youths have risked their lives trying to sneak illegally into Europe by sea.

Mr Wade also has been criticised for focusing on problems in the capital and neglecting rural areas, and has been unable to end a low-level insurgency in the Casamance region.

Residents in that southern region said they had been threatened by armed men - apparently rebels at times have called for secession – seeking to keep them from voting.

“The vote cannot be held in lots of areas because of insecurity,” said Cheikh Niane, the prefect in Bignona. Some polling stations were relocated, Niane said.

The first official results were not expected to be released until later tonight, Election Commissioner Issa Sall told The Associated Press. Overall results may not be available until tomorrow morning or perhaps as late as Friday, Mr Sall said.