Ousmane Sonko challenges president bassirou diomaye faye after Senegal’s constitutional reform vote

Senegal’s National Assembly, on June 29, 2026, overwhelmingly approved a bill to revise the Constitution. The vote proceeded with the 129 deputies of the ruling Pastef parliamentary majority present, despite a boycott of the plenary session by opposition members.

Following the legislative approval, Ousmane Sonko, serving as President of the National Assembly, publicly addressed the growing disagreements between himself and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye concerning specific clauses within the new text.

Directly appealing to the head of state, Sonko remarked, “We continue to hope. It is never too late to rediscover fundamental principles, to reconnect with the core of one’s political identity. I struggle to believe that such a significant shift could occur in so brief a period.”

A central point of contention raised by Sonko was the provision for the President’s asset declaration. He highlighted that the initial legislative proposal mandated asset disclosure at both the commencement and conclusion of the presidential term, a stipulation that subsequently encountered reservations.

Sonko challenged, “He himself, as a candidate, declared that the President of the Republic must disclose their assets upon entering and leaving office. The video evidence is clear. What has prompted this change?”

He firmly asserted that a pledge made to the Senegalese people should not be subject to alteration based on convenience or shifting circumstances.

He further stated, “By what right can a single individual assume the discretion to select which provisions are agreeable and which are not? This is utterly unacceptable.”

These public statements underscore increasingly apparent divisions between two key political figures who, just recently, jointly championed the Pastef political platform during the March 2024 presidential election.