During a recent tour through the Baol region, Ousmane Sonko significantly escalated his criticism of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Convening in Touba this Sunday, where he inaugurated the Pastef-Touba headquarters before leading a conference on contemporary political issues, the Pastef leader revisited the Constitutional Council’s decision to invalidate the constitutional revision law, openly challenging its underlying rationale.
Initially, the National Assembly President had advocated for respecting the high court’s ruling, asserting that it “is binding on all.” However, his tone shifted dramatically in Touba. He directly attacked the presidential practice of frequently appealing to the Constitutional Council, remarking, “Every week, he will refer matters to the Constitutional Council.” This statement underscored his disapproval of what he perceives as the Head of State’s systematic reliance on the Council’s arbitration to circumvent parliamentary initiatives.
Ousmane Sonko continued his argument by disputing the very logic of the rendered decision: “The Constitutional Council cannot dictate that deputies must pass laws that please the President of the Republic.” This was a direct assault on the reasoning employed by the seven judges, who had based their invalidation on procedural deficiencies, specifically the absence of compensatory resources for new public expenditures created by the text and a failure to adhere to the blocked vote procedure. The Pastef leader concluded his address with a solemn warning: “What is unfolding in this country is grave.”
These remarks by the National Assembly President signify a significant shift in his communication, which had initially adopted a stance of institutional appeasement following the July 9 decision. They coincide with Pastef’s Baol tour, framed as an outreach initiative for proximity and territorial reinforcement, now appearing to morph into a political counter-offensive against the Presidency’s ongoing re-composition efforts, which have seen President Faye recently host hundreds of mayors and announce the forthcoming creation of his own political party.
