After Senegal gained its independence from France in 1960, marabouts and leaders of Sufi Brotherhoods (also marabouts), or the "Khalife-Général", have continued to play influential roles in Senegalese politics. Some have questioned the utility of having clientelist relationships between marabouts and government officials in a modern democracy. The new "grandson" generation of marabouts has cultivated a more independent and secular political outlook and have proven that they are willing to question the authority of their predecessors. In Senegal's 1988 presidential election, "Khalife-Général" Abdou Lahatte Mbakke supported Abdou Diouf for reelection. Both as public endorsement and as a reward for installing new roads and street lamps in Touba while in office, the "Khalife-Général" declared a "ndiggël" (a binding command issued by the "Khalife-Général" to all members of the Mouride Brotherhood) that proclaimed that all men must vote for Diouf. Although multiple "Khalife-Général" have issued '"ndiggël politique"' in support of a presidential candidate in previous elections, several marabouts of the "grandson" generation openly rejected the command by voting for the opposition instead. These marabouts believed that the "ndiggël" violated their secular political rights, which was a sentiment shared among many other Mourides in Touba.