Senegal is approaching a constitutional turning point that could ignite an internal power struggle.
The amendments include the creation of a constitutional court and an electoral commission.
Written by: Mohammed Omran
Holds Senegalese ParliamentOn Monday morning, a public session was held to vote on a draft law concerning the revision of the constitution, submitted by the parliamentary bloc of the ruling PASTEF party, which is causing controversy in Senegalese political circles.
Malik Ndiaye, the first vice-president of parliament and a leader of the PASTEEF party, said during a press conference on Sunday that the constitutional review project “is the fruit of several years of dialogue,” adding that it is “an impersonal reform, as it was not designed to protect or target anyone.”.
In contrast, the spokesman for the Senegalese presidency, Abdoulaye Tine, considered the anticipated constitutional amendment to be “a fraud under the guise of a constitutional review,” noting that it is like ”the tree that hides the forest.”.
Former Prime Minister Aminata Touré, the general supervisor of the “Diomaye Raïssa” coalition, also strongly opposed the article that allows the President of the Republic to lead a political party at the same time as the presidential office.
Among the key measures included in the constitutional proposal are “the establishment of a constitutional court,” ”an independent body tasked with elections,” ”limiting the powers of the president,” ”preventing ministers from exercising the duties of the head of a local executive authority,” ”a legal definition of high treason,” and ”strengthening the obligation to declare assets.”.
Once adopted by a three-fifths majority of the National Assembly members, the text will be presented to the President of the Republic, who can either ratify it or submit it to a popular referendum.
The proposal comes amid a wide-ranging dispute between President Basiru Diomae Faye and Parliament Speaker Ousmane Sonko, who was dismissed from his government post last May.
