Senegal Parliament Speaker Steps Down Amid Worsening Political Crisis

Senegal’s Parliament Speaker Resigns Amid Political Crisis

In a move announced on Facebook, Senegal’s parliament speaker El Malick Ndiaye has submitted his resignation, effective immediately. The decision comes two days after the dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Sonko was removed from office following months of tension between him and Faye. Ndiaye’s resignation clears the way for Sonko to run for the post of head of parliament, where his party Pastef holds a strong majority.

Ndiaye stated that his decision to step down was based on personal considerations, citing his commitment to institutions, public responsibility, and the nation’s interest. Faye had previously relied heavily on Sonko, who would have likely become president if not barred from running in the 2024 presidential election due to a defamation conviction.

The Pastef party won the 2024 elections on a promise of reform and addressing corruption. However, the relationship between Faye and Sonko had deteriorated significantly, making their governing alliance uncertain.

Faye’s decision to dismiss Sonko has raised concerns about the country’s debt crisis and ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF froze a $1.8 billion lending program following the discovery of misreported debt by the previous government, which pushed Senegal’s end-2024 debt level to 132 percent of its economic output.

Finance Minister Cheikh Diba had announced that the government would resume talks with the IMF in June and aimed to reach an agreement on key points by June 30. Sonko was a popular opposition leader under the previous administration, which delayed the 2024 election, leading to unrest.

Both Faye and Sonko have a background as tax officials who were jailed ahead of the 2024 election before being released 10 days prior to the rescheduled contest. The Pastef party dominates the National Assembly, potentially complicating governance and reform efforts needed for IMF support.

Source: Al Jazeera