The president of Senegal’s National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, has called on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to promulgate the constitutional revision law that was adopted by a qualified majority of deputies this Monday. Sonko argued that the head of state cannot pick and choose which constitutional provisions to accept, nor can he submit the text to a referendum. According to Sonko’s interpretation, the vote of three-fifths of the National Assembly constitutes both adoption and approval, making a referendum unnecessary.
Speaking after the reform was voted through, Sonko reminded that ‘the constituent power’ lies with the National Assembly when it is convened. He considered the president’s referral of the law to the Constitutional Council to be unjustified, noting that the high court has already ruled on the procedure applicable to constitutional revisions passed by parliament.
Sonko also criticised President Faye’s stance on several provisions of the reform, including the requirement for the president to declare assets upon entering and leaving office, and the prohibition on leading a political party during the presidential term. He recalled that these commitments were once championed by Faye himself when he was in the opposition.
Describing the reform as ‘one of the most consolidating’ for Senegal’s democracy, Sonko argued that it will strengthen transparency in public management while reducing the cost of democratic functioning. He urged President Faye to reconsider his position and promulgate the law, insisting that a referendum on these provisions would be pointless.
