Sénégal’s constitutional council declines to rule on ousmane sonko’s assembly reintegration
Actus. In a significant development for Senegal’s political landscape, the Constitutional Council announced on Wednesday, June 17, its jurisdictional inability to review an appeal lodged by the opposition. This legal challenge contested the reinstatement of Ousmane Sonko to the National Assembly and his subsequent election as its president. The Council’s declaration effectively concludes the legal avenues pursued by opponents, who argued that Sonko’s return and elevation to the top parliamentary post violated established parliamentary regulations.
The Senegalese Constitutional Council formally deemed itself “incompetent” to address an opposition appeal challenging the reintegration of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko into the National Assembly, a move that preceded his election as president of the institution on May 26.
Just days following his dismissal from the prime ministerial office, Ousmane Sonko, the influential leader of the Pastef party — which commands a substantial parliamentary majority — was reinstated as a member of the Assembly before ultimately securing the top leadership position.
Opposition’s legal avenues exhausted
Sonko’s ascension to the presidency of the National Assembly drew immediate objections from opposition factions. They contended that his reintegration into the legislative body constituted a direct breach of internal parliamentary rules, labeling the entire process an “institutional coup d’état.”
With this ruling, the opposition has no further legal recourse available. It is noteworthy that Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from contesting the March 2024 presidential elections, assumed the role of Prime Minister in April 2024 after his close ally, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, secured the presidential victory.
As the leading figure for Pastef, the former Prime Minister led his party to claim 130 out of 165 parliamentary seats in the November 2024 legislative elections. However, he had previously relinquished his parliamentary mandate to continue serving as head of government.
“We will not partake in this charade”
The opposition’s core argument posited that for Mr. Sonko to legitimately reclaim his seat as a deputy today, he should have first resigned from his Prime Ministerial duties, served even temporarily in the National Assembly, and only then returned to a governmental role. Opposition MP Abdou Mbow vocalized this stance in late April, stating, “The parliamentary majority has installed someone, Ousmane Sonko, who has already forfeited his deputy mandate and cannot regain it. We will not associate ourselves with this masquerade.” Nevertheless, in the wake of the Constitutional Council’s definitive decision, the Pastef leader retains his position at the helm of the National Assembly. This critical role could potentially enable him to wield significant counter-power against President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, his former political ally, with whom a clear rift has now emerged in Senegal’s political landscape, a key development in African news today and Africa politics English discussions.
