By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is planning to set up his own political party, a coalition backing him said, a new twist in the recent ousted prime minister.
Faye has instructed senior adviser Aminata Toure to establish a task force charged with creating the party, a statement from the pro-Faye coalition says.
Faye is a member of the ruling PASTEF party, led by the sacked Ousmane Sonko, who was Prime Minister. The move capped months of political tension between the two leaders.
Sonko has since become speaker of the National Assembly, where he has been pushing for constitutional reforms that would, among other things, bar a sitting President from serving as leader of a political party.
Lawmakers voted in favour of the proposed amendment last week, but Faye has decided to put them to a referendum. It is unclear when the referendum will take place.
The political upheaval is unfolding as Senegal struggles to grapple with a crisis, arising from the revelation of misreported debt under the previous government.
Both Faye and Sonko are preparing for local elections scheduled for 2027 that will help them test their political influence among voters.
