During his recent tour across the Baol region, Ousmane Sonko significantly escalated his critique directed at President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Convening this Sunday in Touba, where he inaugurated the new Pastef-Touba headquarters and subsequently addressed a conference on current political issues, the Pastef leader revisited the Constitutional Council’s ruling that invalidated the constitutional revision law, openly disputing its underlying rationale.
Initially advocating for adherence to the high court’s judgment, asserting its universal binding nature, the President of the National Assembly adopted a markedly different stance during his Touba appearance. He directly assailed the presidential practice of frequently referring matters to the Constitutional Council, remarking, “Every week, he refers issues to the Constitutional Council.” This statement underscored his objection to what he views as the Head of State’s habitual reliance on the “Sages'” arbitration to circumvent parliamentary initiatives.
Ousmane Sonko further elaborated on his argument by challenging the very foundation of the Council’s decision, declaring, “The Constitutional Council cannot dictate that deputies must pass laws merely to appease the President of the Republic.” This amounted to a direct rebuke of the reasoning employed by the seven judges, who had justified their invalidation on procedural grounds, specifically citing the lack of compensatory funding for new public expenditures outlined in the text and the failure to adhere to the blocked vote procedure. The Pastef leader concluded his address with a solemn warning: “What is unfolding in this nation is profoundly serious.”
These pronouncements by the President of the National Assembly signify a notable shift in his public communication, which had initially adopted a tone of institutional conciliation following the July 9 decision. His remarks emerge as Pastef’s tour through the Baol region, initially framed as an outreach effort to strengthen its grassroots presence, increasingly appears to be a political counter-offensive. This move is positioned against the Presidency’s ongoing recomposition strategy, which has recently involved meetings with hundreds of mayors and the announcement of its intention to form its own political party.