Ahmed Yassin vs Macky Sall

Yassin co-founded Hamas during the First Intifada, establishing it as an Islamist resistance movement against Israeli occupation. He served as its spiritual leader, advocating for armed struggle and the establishment of an Islamic state in Palestine.

Yassin was sentenced to life imprisonment by Israel in 1989 for his role in Hamas attacks. He was released in 1997 as part of a prisoner exchange, returning to Gaza where he continued to lead Hamas until his death.

Yassin was killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 22, 2004, as he left a mosque in Gaza. The targeted assassination was condemned internationally and led to a surge in Hamas popularity, with Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi succeeding him.

Macky Sall won the presidential election in a runoff against incumbent Abdoulaye Wade. His victory was seen as a defense of democratic norms after Wade's controversial third-term bid.

Sall launched the Plan Senegal Emergent, a national development strategy focusing on infrastructure, agriculture, and energy. The plan aimed to achieve middle-income status by 2035.

Sall oversaw a constitutional referendum that reduced the presidential term from seven to five years and limited the president to two terms. The reform was intended to strengthen democratic institutions.

Sall was re-elected in the first round with 58.3% of the vote. The election was peaceful but criticized by opposition for excluding some candidates, though international observers noted improvements.