By Fatou Touray
The President of the Republic of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and set the date for the next legislative elections.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye explained that the current parliamentary majority has been acting against the will of the Senegalese people. He cited two main reasons for his decision:
First, he pointed out that on June 29, 2024, the Assembly refused to hold the mandatory budgetary orientation debate, violating a legal obligation outlined in Article 56 of the organic law related to finance laws. This, he said, has tarnished Senegal’s image in the eyes of international institutions.
Second, he mentioned the rejection of the constitutional revision project, which aimed to fulfil his promise to abolish the High Council of Territorial Collectivities (HCCT) and the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE). He emphasized that this decision comes at a time when the situation of public finances urgently requires the rationalization of public spending.
“Finally, by going so far as to usurp the constitutional prerogatives of the President of the Republic to set a date for the General Policy Declaration, in flagrant violation of article 84 of the Constitution and article 97 of the law organic body governing the internal regulations of the National Assembly. Not to mention the threat of a motion of censure that this majority poses to the government,” the Statement from President Faye reads.
Based on these facts, he concluded that the assurance of genuine collaboration with the parliamentary majority, solely for the benefit of the Senegalese people, “was an illusion.”
“This is why, by virtue of the powers conferred on me by article 87 of the Constitution, and after having consulted the Constitutional Council on the correct date, the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly, on the advisability, I dissolve the National Assembly. The date of the legislative elections is thus set for Sunday, November 17, 2024,” declared President Faye
The statement concluded with President Faye appealing to the sovereign people of Senegal to grant him the institutional tools needed to fulfill the systemic transformation he has pledged.