Assemblée nationale : L’arme politique de Sonko contre Diomaye ?
The fault lines are becoming clearer at the highest levels of government. As disagreements emerge between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Pastef's overwhelming majority in the National Assembly could become a decisive political lever.
As expected, the leader of the Awalé movement, Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf, who is also the Minister of the Environment and Energy Transition, did not hold back in his criticism of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko during the DiomayePrésident coalition's general assembly.
In a decidedly political speech, "Dr. Ass" launched a thinly veiled attack on the Pastef leader. "No one can rewrite history. It was the Diomaye-President coalition that elected the head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Moreover, it was this victory that allowed Pastef to subsequently win the legislative elections. In Senegal, we all know that the winner of the presidential election generally wins the legislative elections," he declared.
This statement sounds like a thinly veiled message in anticipation of a possible battle for control of the National Assembly, where Pastef currently holds 130 seats.
During the snap parliamentary elections of November 17, 2024, which the former spokesperson for Rewmi referred to, organized after the dissolution of the 14th legislature, Pastef chose to run independently, without a coalition. Ousmane Sonko, the party's lead candidate, campaigned extensively throughout the country before being rewarded with a landslide victory: 130 out of the 165 seats in the National Assembly.
A major advantage that the party seems able to wield in the event of a definitive break with the government.
Indeed, during his latest media appearance, as part of a new concept called "Facing the Activists," last weekend, the current Prime Minister, visibly at odds with his president, had mentioned the possibility of a "soft cohabitation" if the head of state continued, according to him, to move away from the party's vision.
“Pastef must be at the heart of governance. No one can govern without it. Some try to make people believe that it is possible, but it is not the case,” he said during a live broadcast on his Facebook page.
But the move made on Saturday by Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who officially endorsed the DiomayePresident coalition, suggests a possible political realignment, with the return of Ousmane Sonko and his party to the opposition.
In this scenario, some observers are already raising concerns about the risk of institutional gridlock, given Pastef's comfortable majority in the National Assembly. This is especially true since, legally, the president cannot dissolve the institution again before the expiration of a two-year period.
Others, however, downplay this hypothesis. "Contrary to what many Senegalese believe, Sonko does not control all the deputies. If he tries to impose a power-sharing arrangement in the National Assembly, he could be in for some surprises, as he may already be experiencing by seeing certain officials getting closer to Diomaye," confides a lawyer and senior Pastef official.
Our source cites in particular the recent audience granted at the presidential palace to members of the parliamentary group, on the occasion of a "ndogou" (a traditional meal). "Out of the 130 deputies, no fewer than 105 were present, that is more than 80%. That's not insignificant. And while there, few clearly stated their position," he explains.
In any case, of the 25 absentees, fewer than ten have publicly shown their support for Ousmane Sonko on social media. Among them, MP Cheikh Bara Ndiaye appears to be one of the most visible.
"The MPs remain free. Proof of this is that many have never spoken publicly about these disagreements between the two heads of the executive branch," continues our source, close to the government.
According to him, the same caution prevails among several ministers and directors general. With the exception of Waly Diouf Bodiang, the current director general of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, and Bassirou Kébé, the former head of SNHLM who was recently dismissed, most have preferred to remain silent.
Among ministers, however, some positions are beginning to emerge. Following President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's remarks, Khady Dène Gaye reaffirmed her "commitment to Ousmane Sonko." For his part, the Minister of Trade, Serigne Guèye Diop, clearly stated his alignment with the Head of State's position, as did Abderrahmane Diouf.
"Many are still playing political games. With the dismissal of Bassirou Kébé and the determination shown by Diomaye on Saturday at the King Fahd Palace, some know that at the slightest political act, their position can be threatened," warns our source.
However, he is more nuanced about the outcome of these tensions. "I haven't given up hope. They will smooth things over, because what binds them goes beyond politics," he says.
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