Senegal national assembly challenges Ousmane Sonko’s seat
The Front for the Defence of the Republic (FDR) has issued a formal statement demanding the immediate removal of Ousmane Sonko from his position in the National Assembly. Led by Khalifa Sall, the coalition argues that Sonko’s continued presence in the parliament is both illegal and illegitimate, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal and political confrontation.
The FDR’s declaration, released on Wednesday, commends the collective effort of 147 political parties and movements that signed a joint statement on May 24 against what they describe as a parliamentary coup attempt by the PASTEF party. The coalition also welcomes the opposition’s decision to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council for review.
Central to the FDR’s argument is Article LO172 of the Electoral Code, which states that a minister elected as a deputy automatically loses their parliamentary mandate if they fail to resign from the government within eight days. The coalition contends that PASTEF circumvented this requirement by altering the Assembly’s internal regulations, a move they claim is unconstitutional on two critical grounds:
- Violation of constitutional principles: The FDR asserts that any such adjustment must be enshrined in an organic law within the Electoral Code, not hidden in the Assembly’s procedural rules. The 1960 Constitution, they argue, leaves no room for ambiguity in this regard.
- Unrecognized legal category: The coalition points out that the newly introduced concept of “deputy substitutes” has no legal basis in Senegalese law outside the framework of departmental or proportional elections. This, they say, represents a clear overreach by PASTEF.
The FDR maintains that PASTEF’s actions simultaneously breach the Constitution, the Electoral Code, and the Assembly’s own regulations—whose sole purpose, as outlined in Article 1, is to govern internal procedures. The coalition is now urging all stakeholders to rally behind a unified action plan to uphold the rule of law and restore constitutional order.
