Dakar, Senegal – Tension but calm reigned Monday morning in Plateau, the downtown Dakar neighborhood that is home to the country’s National Assembly. In Parliament, the Assembly was anything but that.

MPs debated President Macky Sall’s announcement that parliamentary elections originally scheduled for February 25 would be postponed for another six months.

The announcement sparked disbelief from Fatou Djibril Ndour, 29.

“I am one of the people who voted [for] Macky Sall in 2012 and 2019, but I regret it. This is not good for a country,” a waitress at a restaurant in the nearby Ouakam district told Al Jazeera.

The decision to postpone the vote was controversial, sparking protests in the capital and putting police on high alert. Police fired tear gas at opposition supporters on Sunday and beat some with batons.

On Monday, the gendarmerie, the state police, arrived in large numbers. Dozens of them in riot gear lined streets across the capital, some helping to break up a smaller rally outside parliament.

Anta Sarr, 31, a shopkeeper in Ouakam, says the increased police presence is slowing down business. “I am struggling to feed my family and now our customers are afraid to go out because there are few people left,” he says.

Earlier in the day, police fired tear gas at protesters and opposition supporters gathering near the National Assembly. There were also reports of police arrests and intimidation.

The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed in the constitution, but police break up protests before they begin. Journalists say police prevented them from filming and law enforcement threatened to confiscate equipment.

The communications ministry also shut down mobile internet, citing security concerns.

“Dear customers,” says a text message from the telephone provider Orange, “by decision of the state, mobile Internet is blocked for all operators.”

International watchdog Human Rights Watch warned that actions like these were part of a crackdown on the opposition, media and civil society.

“We are at a crossroads”

With this in mind, customers sat for afternoon coffee at a stall near the National Assembly and discussed events taking place just down the street in a hushed atmosphere.

“It’s not normal for just one person to violate the constitution,” said bystander Charles Leon Faye.

“[Sall] is not the right person to make such decisions,” he says. “The Senegalese people must organize themselves. We must organize to save our country [and] also to try to find a solution to solve these problems.”

It is a critical moment for the country, says political analyst Ibrahima Kane.

“We are at a crossroads,” he tells Al Jazeera by phone. “Either we stop this initiative by politicians who always want to overrule, or the constitution will no longer have any value.”

The television sound of the parliamentary proceedings could be heard over the telephone. Kane was glued to the screen all day. His phone was buzzing with people wanting to know his opinion on the vote in Parliament.

“You know, our political system is getting worse and worse,” he says.

“Any idea of ​​a postponement is unconstitutional. The constitution prohibits any change in the term of office, its shortening or extension – that is not possible.”

In a shop near the Mamelle district in Dakar, Cherif Coly grins as he looks at the store’s television. The live broadcast of the parliamentary proceedings was underway. The arguments have affected both employees and customers.

But the 32-year-old, a crew member at Blaise Diagne International Airport, is optimistic.

“That’s good,” he says. “President Macky Sall wants to postpone the election so everyone can participate,” he says. “There were 41 [candidates] who were not allowed to do so [on the ballot]. If the elections are postponed, they can take part.”

Coly wants more people to take part in the election, including opposition candidates.

A turning point

Last month, the country’s Constitutional Council released a final list of election candidates that excluded opposition leaders Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade, the son of former President Abdoulaye Wade.

The final list includes Bassirou Diomaye Faye, nominated by Sonko, and Prime Minister Amadou Ba, supported by President Sall.

Dakar’s former mayor Khalifa Sall – who has no relation to Macky Sall – is also on the ballot.

During his father’s term as head of state, Wade served as a minister. The younger Wade was sentenced in 2012 to six years in prison, a $230 million fine and the same amount of embezzlement on corruption charges. He has denied these allegations and dismissed them as politically motivated.

In 2016, after serving half of his sentence, he was released granted a presidential pardon.

The politician, who held dual Senegalese-French citizenship, renounced his second citizenship last month to run for office. However, when he submitted his documents, the Senegalese Constitutional Court declared that he was a dual citizen, making him ineligible to run.

Coly hopes a delay might give others time to get involved in the vote. He says he’s willing to wait so voters can choose the best candidate.

“These elections are very special because we have petrol, petrol and other resources here in Senegal,” he says. He wants a president who can manage both these resources and the country’s finances.

“If the president is not strong enough, the people will lose [these resources],” he adds. “If you look at countries with natural resources, there is war there. These countries are not stable, so we need a president who will fight for national resources because they belong to all Senegalese.”

Senegal is often touted as a beacon of peace and stability in the region. But now that legacy is in the hands of the lawmakers who have brought Senegal to a turning point, says Kane.

Late Monday they voted to postpone the election until December, leaving many worried about the impact on the political landscape.

“Politicians are also citizens of the country,” adds Kane. “You are not above the Constitution, especially not above the President of the Republic, who is the guarantor of the implementation of the Constitution.”