By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Members of Senegalese National Assembly on Monday adopted a constitutional amendment reducing the powers of the President while expanding the parliament’s role, a move the presidency has kicked against and insisted on referendum.
This follows a political impasse between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, who was sacked and later elected as the President of the National Assembly in May.
The opposition views the initiative, proposed by Sonko’s PASTEF party, as political revenge by the former Prime Minister, who still wields so much influence over the parliamentary majority.
Protesters had gathered in front of the parliament building, at the instance of opposition parties and civil society organisations to condemn the constitutional changes.
They brandished placards with different inscriptions and chanted the slogan “Hands off my Constitution!”. Police fired tear gas and detained several opposition leaders and activists.
The amendment strengthens parliament’s powers. Among other things, it requires the government to inform the legislature of agreements related to the exploitation of natural resources. It also expands the powers of parliamentary inquiry committees.
The text also proposes the creation of a Constitutional Court to replace the current Constitutional Council. The new court would be composed of nine members, compared to the current seven.
Other changes include the incompatibility of the functions of head of state and leader of a political party, a limitation on the decisions that can be made by the executive branch between the presidential election and the official proclamation of the results, and stricter controls on the president’s power to dissolve the National Assembly.
The government said it will organize a referendum on the changes but did not state when it will take place.
