President Faye’s Dissolution of Senegal’s Parliament and Call for Elections Come Amidst Stalled Reforms
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dissolved the opposition-led parliament, triggering snap elections set for November 17. Faye, who came to power six months ago on an anti-establishment platform, stated that the decision was necessary after the assembly refused to discuss the budget law and blocked his efforts to dissolve inefficient state institutions.
I dissolve the national assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means to bring about the systemic transformation that I have promised to deliver, Faye declared in a brief televised speech on Thursday.
Faye’s party, PASTEF (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity), is expected to perform well in the upcoming elections, buoyed by the president’s popularity and his March election victory, where he secured 54% of the vote.
However, the opposition coalition, Benno Bokk Yaakar, led by former President Macky Sall, criticized the move, accusing Faye of “perjury” and alleging that he called a legislative session under false pretenses to dissolve the assembly.
Faye’s presidency has been marked by high expectations, particularly among Senegal’s youth, frustrated with the country’s economic direction. Though he promised widespread reforms, including combating corruption and securing more of the nation’s resources for Senegalese citizens, those changes have yet to be realized. Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, a prominent opposition leader who supported his rise, blame the opposition-controlled parliament for stalling reforms.
The new elections could reshape the legislative landscape and determine the future of Faye’s reform agenda. However, with the budget deadline looming in December, the timing of the vote adds additional pressure.
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