The President of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, announced yesterday that seven legislative proposals submitted by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye would not be included in the agenda of the first extraordinary session.
The session, convened on August 6 by the Assembly’s bureau, opened with an address from the President, who confirmed receipt of the seven bills forwarded by the Executive branch. These proposals covered a range of international agreements and treaties, including:
- A bill authorizing ratification of the Marrakech Treaty to improve access to published works for visually impaired individuals;
- Bills authorizing ratification of amendments to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation;
- A military and technical cooperation agreement between Senegal and the Republic of Congo;
- Extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with the United Arab Emirates;
- A judicial cooperation treaty with Italy.
What’s on the agenda instead
Despite the submission of these seven bills, none were scheduled for discussion during this extraordinary session. The Assembly’s bureau has prioritized other legislative items, including:
- Three government bills: the Labor Code, Social Security Code, and measures on critical infrastructure protection and digital security;
- Two private member bills; and
- Six proposals to establish parliamentary inquiry commissions, focusing on issues such as land management, state property sales, financial mechanisms like Total Return Swaps, irregularities in the “One Student, One Laptop” program, tax revenue losses, fishing license issuance, and more.
Urgent constitutional and financial reforms
Two key proposals will undergo expedited review over the next two weeks:
- A bill to amend Article 37 of the Constitution, which pertains to the declaration of assets by the President;
- A bill addressing the legal framework for special credits.
These accelerated proceedings were requested by their proponents and reflect the Assembly’s commitment to addressing pressing constitutional and financial governance concerns.
The extraordinary session will also address six proposals for parliamentary inquiry commissions, targeting governance issues such as:
- Land management shortcomings;
- State property sales;
- Use of Total Return Swap financial instruments;
- Irregularities in the “One Student, One Laptop” program;
- Tax revenue losses and exemptions;
- Fishing license issuance and renewal conditions.
