Senegal’s president dissolves parliament, calls for a snap legislative election
- In Reports
- 07:23 PM, Sep 13, 2024
- Myind Staff
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolved the opposition-dominated parliament on Thursday, paving the way for an early legislative election just six months after he came to power through an anti-establishment mandate. The new election will be held on November 17, Faye announced in a televised address Thursday evening in which he called on voters to give his party a mandate for the "systemic transformation that I promised." With his popularity coupled with the margin of his victory in the March presidential election, the likelihood of a majority for his political party PASTEF is at hand, analysts note.
The opposition platform Benno Bokk Yaakar, headed by former President Macky Sall, condemned the move, "We consider that the call for the legislative session was a sham, under false pretences, with the aim of announcing the dissolution," they said, accusing 44-year-old Faye of "perjury." The vote to elect him as Africa's youngest democratically elected leader in March had just come a few weeks after being released from prison. His rise reflects broad frustration among Senegal's youth with the direction of their country, a feeling echoed across Africa, home to the world's youngest population and several leaders accused of clinging to power for more years than many citizens would like.
He promised during his presidential campaign far-reaching reforms to improve the living standards among ordinary Senegalese, including fighting corruption, reviewing fishing permits for foreign companies, and securing a bigger share of the country's natural resources for its people. He won with 54% of the votes.
However, six months into his leadership, those promises have not been accomplished.
The country's prime minister, Faye, and opposition heavyweight, Ousmane Sonko, who played an instrumental role in Faye's victory, had both blamed the parliament for the delay. The political party he belongs to, PASTEF, does not hold a majority in the assembly, something Faye says has prevented him from implementing the much-promised reforms.
In June, the opposition coalition cancelled a budgetary debate due to disagreement over whether Sonko was obliged to present his government's policy roadmap. The latter argued he was not.
Alioune Tine, the founder of the think tank Afrikajom, told The Associated Press the tensions between the government and parliament are "unprecedented." This, he argued, is due to issues emanating from the electoral process of the 2024 presidential election. Gilles Yabi, a Dakar-based political analyst and founder of the think tank WATHI, said Faye's decision to dissolve the national assembly does carry some risks. It has until the end of December to vote on the budget for the following year, but new legislative elections will make meeting that deadline more complicated.
April's presidential election tested Senegal's reputation as a stable democracy in a region repeatedly subjected to coups and attempted coups in recent years. Both Faye and Sonko were released from prison less than two weeks before the vote after outgoing President Macky Sall declared a political amnesty. Their arrests had sparked months of protests and fears that Sall was trying to run for a third term in violation of term limits. Dozens were reportedly killed, and about 1 000 jailed according to rights groups.
More than 60 percent of Senegalese are under age 25, and 90 percent work in informal jobs. Soaring inflation in recent years has made it hard for them to make ends meet. The country is also the main source of irregular migration to Europe, with thousands setting off every year in precarious, makeshift fishing boats in search of better economic fortunes. The announcement came several days after one such vessel, carrying nearly 90 people, capsized, killing at least 39.
Image source: APN News
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