Senegal Assembly Backs Reform Seen as Benefiting Prime Minister Sonko

Mintesinot Niggusie

Senegal’s National Assembly has approved amendments to the country’s electoral code that could remove legal obstacles previously barring Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko from contesting the 2029 presidential election.

The bill was adopted on Tuesday under an emergency procedure and passed by 128 votes in favour. The legislature is currently dominated by Sonko’s Pastef party, which pushed for the sweeping reforms.

The changes revise sections of the electoral framework that had contributed to Sonko’s exclusion from the 2024 presidential race following a conviction that rendered him ineligible at the time.

Sonko, 51, was unable to stand in the 2024 election but remained a central political figure, with his selected successor Bassirou Diomaye Faye going on to win the presidency. Differences have since emerged between the two leaders.

The legislative process drew heavy criticism from opposition parties, which questioned the use of emergency procedures to advance the reforms. The bill has now been sent to the presidency for official promulgation.

Opposition groups are expected to consider a legal challenge before the Constitutional Council, which has the authority to review the constitutionality of the new legislation before it takes full effect.