Ousmane sonko challenges president faye over Senegal’s constitutional revision

Following the National Assembly’s approval of the proposed constitutional amendment, Ousmane Sonko meticulously reviewed the entire process leading to this significant reform. He then directly implicated President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, attributing any potential irregularities surrounding the text to the head of state. “Should there have been any manipulation, it originated from the President of the Republic. He scrutinized the text, selecting what suited him and discarding what did not. The Constitution does not belong to Bassirou Diomaye Faye,” Sonko declared emphatically.
   

The President of the National Assembly further elaborated on his claims by citing specific clauses he accused the head of state of removing. These included the mandatory declaration of assets at the conclusion of a presidential term and the prohibition against the President of the Republic concurrently leading a political party. Sonko then challenged the legitimacy of such actions, asserting: “By what authority can a single individual arbitrarily choose which provisions suit them and which do not? This is utterly unacceptable,” he stressed. This incident highlights critical aspects of governance in Africa and raises questions about African politics.
   

Indeed, Ousmane Sonko was keen to underscore the hierarchy of constitutional powers, explicitly denying the President of the Republic the status of a constituent authority. “The President is not a constituent power. The derived constituent power resides with the National Assembly. The original constituent power belongs to the people, exercised when they are convened through a referendum,” he clarified, emphasizing the democratic foundations of Senegal’s legal framework.