Sonko urges president Faye to sign Senegal constitutional reform into law

Ousmane Sonko, president of the National Assembly, has called on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to promulgate the constitutional revision law that was adopted by a qualified majority of deputies this Monday. According to Sonko, the head of state cannot pick and choose which constitutional provisions suit him, nor submit this text to a referendum. In his interpretation, the vote of three-fifths of the National Assembly simultaneously constitutes adoption and approval.

Speaking after the reform was voted on, Sonko reminded that “constituent power” belongs to the National Assembly when it is in session. He argued that the president’s referral of the matter to the Constitutional Council was unjustified, stating that the high court has already ruled on the procedure applicable to constitutional revisions passed by parliament.

The National Assembly president also criticised President Faye’s stance on several provisions of the reform, notably the requirement for the president to declare personal assets at the start and end of his term, as well as the ban on leading a political party while in office. Sonko recalled that these commitments had been championed by the current head of state when he was in the opposition.

Describing the reform as “one of the most consolidating” for Senegalese democracy, Sonko argued that it would enhance transparency in public management while reducing the cost of democratic functioning. He urged the president to reconsider his position and promulgate the law, asserting that a referendum on these provisions would be unnecessary.