Parliament shake-up looms as Senegal’s government faces showdown with opposition

Melissa Chemam with RFI

12 September 2024 at 9:41 am·2-min read

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is expected to dissolve the opposition-led parliament and initiate a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that could implicate dozens of officials.

Faye was to address the nation on Thursday, with the decision likely to follow shortly after or on Friday.

The parliament, elected in 2022, has reached its two-year mark. This allows Faye’s government, led by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, to dissolve it as permitted by the Senegalese constitution.

The National Assembly remains dominated by supporters of former president Macky Sall, who still hold the majority and have recently tabled a motion of censure against Sonko’s administration.

This presents a significant obstacle for the new government.

"I can assure you that (...) on the 12th, these people will have something else to do than be MPs," Sonko said in a video posted on social media last week, signalling the parliament’s imminent dissolution.

Looking for a majority

Sonko was appointed as prime minister in April by Faye, who won a decisive presidential election in March. He is pushing for a parliamentary majority to enact the sweeping reforms they promised on a platform of pan-Africanism and social justice.

Press reports say Faye will be able to dissolve the assembly starting from 12 September – 24 months after its first post-election session.

As the dissolution looms, tensions between the executive branch and the legislature continue to escalate. Both sides are engaged in a high-stakes race, each trying to weaken the other ahead of the next legislative elections.

(with newswires)

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