Senegal’s constitutional reform sparks institutional clash between presidency and parliament

“Diomaye-Sonko, new season,” reads the front page of a local newspaper, capturing the tense relationship between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. Sonko was dismissed from the prime minister’s post on May 22 but secured the presidency of the National Assembly just four days later.

This new season reflects a clash between two blocs now facing off over a constitutional reform: the executive and the legislature. It has been described as a “clash of institutions.”

On June 29, the National Assembly—where the Pastef party, led by Ousmane Sonko, holds 130 out of 165 seats—adopted a proposal for a constitutional revision. However, before the debate began, Justice Minister Me Moussa Sarr announced that the adoption would be subject to an upcoming referendum.

Transformation of the institutional architecture

The draft law is divisive. The government’s four proposed amendments were rejected by the law commission. The review leading up to the June 29 vote took place in a heated atmosphere. In protest, opposition deputies walked out of the chamber.

This reform, driven by the majority born from the