The ongoing rift between the Pastef party and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye continues to dominate Senegal’s political scene. As some party activists call for the head of state’s expulsion, Ousmane Sonko has stated that the matter will be resolved “when the time comes” by the movement’s relevant bodies.
In remarks made this Monday, the president of the National Assembly stressed the structured and organized nature of Pastef, reminding that any eventual decision must adhere to the party’s statutes.
“That will be assessed when the time comes. Pastef is a highly structured, highly organized party. It has very clear rules on the procedures to follow and the grievances to examine before talking about expelling someone or not. The party is not me. It is the bodies that will decide when the time comes,” Ousmane Sonko said.
The Pastef leader was careful to note that no such decision is currently on the agenda. “We are not there yet,” he added.
Sonko refuses to speak of ‘betrayal’
Pressed on accusations of “betrayal” against President Diomaye Faye, Ousmane Sonko declined to use that term, preferring to address the dispute on political rather than moral grounds.
“Notions of betrayal belong more to morality and emotion. I prefer to stay on political terrain,” he explained.
According to him, several commitments made to the Senegalese people have not been honoured, and more worryingly, he believes there is no real will to implement them.
“Today I consider that some of the commitments we made to the Senegalese people are not being respected and that there is no willingness to respect them. Betrayal, I leave that to the moral domain,” concluded the former prime minister.
Persistent tensions within the ruling camp
These statements come amid strong tensions between different factions of Senegal’s ruling coalition. For several weeks, Pastef officials and activists have accused President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of drifting away from the political project that brought the party to power.
Despite these criticisms, Ousmane Sonko is for now relying on the party’s internal mechanisms and ruling out any hasty decision concerning the head of state.
