Senegal’s national assembly convenes urgent session under ousmane sonko

During a crucial meeting held yesterday, the Bureau of Senegal’s National Assembly officially announced the commencement of its inaugural extraordinary session for the 2025-2026 legislative year. This significant gathering is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 10, 2026, with a comprehensive agenda including the review of two proposed bills, three draft laws, and six requests for the establishment of parliamentary inquiry commissions.

This marks an anticipated early return for the parliamentarians of the 15th Legislature. Despite being on their annual recess, Senegalese deputies are preparing to reconvene at the Hémicycle in Soweto Square. The Bureau of the National Assembly finalized the opening of this pivotal first extraordinary session for the 2025-2026 legislative period. Barring any last-minute adjustments, the proceedings are slated to commence promptly at 10:00 AM on Monday, August 10, 2026.

Regulatory framework for the extraordinary session

This urgent convocation, driven by current political developments and the imperative for institutional reforms, promises to be particularly intensive. The internal regulations of the institution stipulate that the session’s work schedule must be strictly adhered to, with a legal maximum duration of fifteen (15) days.

Furthermore, a clear distinction exists regarding the origin of the convocation: when the National Assembly itself requests the opening of an extraordinary session, its Bureau issues an order specifying the date and agenda. Conversely, if the executive branch initiates the session, a decree from the President of the Republic sets both the date and the specific items for discussion.

In this particular instance, the first extraordinary session of the 2025-2026 year will commence with the verification of the quorum, followed by an official opening declaration from the President of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko. This plenary session will then lead into a meeting of the conference of presidents, tasked with outlining the detailed work schedule for the current extraordinary session.

As mandated by the National Assembly’s internal regulations, an extraordinary session must strictly adhere to a predetermined agenda that cannot be altered once the session has officially begun. The members of the National Assembly Bureau have upheld this critical regulatory requirement, having already defined the legislative texts slated for examination during this session, which will not extend beyond the statutory fifteen (15) days. While the official decree from the Bureau detailing the agenda is pending publication, several key texts were confirmed yesterday by the National Assembly’s leadership.

For this initial extraordinary session of the 2025-2026 year, which will automatically conclude once its defined agenda is exhausted, the deputies of the 15th Legislature are poised to deliberate on two significant bill proposals, three new draft laws, and six requests for the establishment of parliamentary inquiry commissions.

Key legislative proposals for review

Among the crucial items, the National Assembly is expected to review the proposed bill to amend Article 37 of the Constitution of Senegal, which pertains to the declaration of assets by the President of the Republic. Additionally, a bill proposing the strict regulation of special credits and other secret funds will be examined. Both of these legislative proposals underwent scrutiny and were formally declared admissible by the National Assembly Bureau in July 2026.

It is worth noting that in a prior announcement on July 24, the National Assembly had indicated the formation of several parliamentary inquiry commissions to investigate various pertinent issues.