Ousmane sonko intensifies criticism against president diomaye faye over constitutional council rulings

During his recent tour across the Baol region, Ousmane Sonko significantly escalated his critique of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Speaking this Sunday in Touba, where he inaugurated the new Pastef-Touba headquarters and led a conference addressing current political challenges, the prominent Pastef leader openly disputed the rationale behind the Constitutional Council’s decision to invalidate the proposed constitutional revision law.
   

Initially, Sonko had urged adherence to the high court’s ruling, emphasizing that it “binds everyone.” However, during his address in Touba, the National Assembly President shifted his stance. He directly challenged the presidential practice of frequently appealing to the Constitutional Council, stating pointedly, “Every week, he refers matters to the Constitutional Council.” This remark underscored his perception of the Head of State’s systematic reliance on the Council’s arbitration to circumvent parliamentary initiatives.
   

Ousmane Sonko further elaborated his position by questioning the very foundation of the Council’s judgment, asserting, “The Constitutional Council cannot dictate that deputies must pass laws solely to please the President of the Republic.” This constituted a direct challenge to the reasoning of the seven judges, who had justified their invalidation on procedural grounds, citing specifically the lack of compensatory funding for new public expenditures outlined in the text and non-adherence to the blocked vote procedure. The Pastef leader concluded his remarks with a solemn warning, declaring, “What is unfolding in this nation is profoundly serious.”
   

These statements by the National Assembly President signify a notable shift in his public communication, which had initially adopted a tone of institutional appeasement following the July 9th decision. His current remarks coincide with Pastef’s Baol tour, framed as an outreach initiative for community engagement and regional strengthening. This tour is now widely perceived as a political counter-offensive, directly confronting the Presidency’s ongoing efforts to reshape the political landscape, notably through recent meetings with hundreds of mayors and the announced formation of its own political party. This highlights evolving African politics in Senegal.