In a rare public display of political divergence, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has openly disputed President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s stance on political funds, highlighting a rift within the ruling coalition. Addressing lawmakers, Sonko made it clear he disagrees with the President’s approach, stating, «I do not share the President’s view on this matter. I believe he has made a mistake, and I hope he will reconsider.»
The Prime Minister emphasized that the coalition’s original commitment was never to abolish these funds entirely, but to eliminate their misuse. He stressed that no longer should these opaque «political envelopes», often referred to as «caisse noire», remain unchecked, allowing funds meant for public welfare to be diverted without oversight.
Sonko revealed that the Prime Minister’s office alone holds 1.77 billion FCFA in political funds, underscoring his demand for radical transparency reforms. He argued these resources should never serve as «electoral tools for buying loyalty or personal enrichment». To prevent such abuses, he proposed adopting stricter parliamentary controls modeled after France’s system, where sensitive budgets—like those for national defense—remain confidential, but allocations are scrutinized by a dedicated parliamentary committee.
As a symbolic gesture of his commitment, Sonko announced the end of cash transactions for fund management, replacing them with digital transfers and checks. «This is a matter of principle,» he declared. «The funds will continue to exist, and I am not opposed to increasing them. However, they must be subject to rigorous oversight.» His remarks were met with applause from the assembled deputies.
