At stake in this Referendum:

• Passage of new constitution

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Abdoulaye WADE
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Moustapha NIASSE
• Assembly: Senegal has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (Assemblée Nacional) with 140 seats and the Senate (Senát) with 60 seats.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Referendum to pass a new constitution The new constitution provides for the dissolution of the Senate and a reduction of the National Assembly from 140 to 120 members. It also grants greater powers to the prime minister and creates a semi-presidential administration. Under the new constitution, the presidential term will be shortened from seven to five years.

Electoral Requirements

• A majority of votes cast are required for this referendum to be enacted.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,118,078 (2001)
• Registered Voters: 2,552,589 (January 2001)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 5,144,043 (2001)

·         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: 1,517,711 (est.)