Senegal assembly demands ousmane sonko’s removal

The Front for the Defense of the Republic (FDR) has issued a formal statement demanding the immediate removal of Ousmane Sonko from his seat in the National Assembly. In a strongly worded declaration, the coalition—led by Khalifa Sall—denounced his continued presence as both illegal and illegitimate.

In their official text, the FDR praised the collective stance of 147 political parties and movements that united on May 24 to condemn what they describe as a parliamentary coup attempt by PASTEF. The coalition also welcomed the opposition’s decision to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council for judicial review.

The FDR’s argument hinges on Article LO172 of the Electoral Code, which mandates that any minister elected as a deputy must resign from their government position within eight days or forfeit their parliamentary seat. The coalition argues that PASTEF attempted to bypass this requirement by altering the Assembly’s internal regulations. However, the FDR contends that this maneuver violates both the Constitution and the Electoral Code.

Two key constitutional violations are highlighted:

• Article 54 of the Constitution requires that such procedural changes be enacted through an organic law within the Electoral Code—not concealed in an internal Assembly regulation.
• The revised regulation introduced the concept of ‘deputy substitutes’, a category foreign to Senegalese law outside of proportional or departmental majority elections.

The FDR further argues that PASTEF’s actions undermine the Assembly’s internal regulations, which are strictly meant to govern institutional operations, as outlined in Article 1 of the Assembly’s rules. The coalition has called for nationwide mobilization, urging citizens and civil society to rally behind a comprehensive action plan to uphold the rule of law.