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Opposition lawmakers in Senegal have officially referred the decision to reinstate Ousmane Sonko as a deputy to the Constitutional Council. They are seeking to have the National Assembly Bureau’s ruling of May 24, 2026, declared unconstitutional.
The deputies are urging the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its authority and put an end to what they describe as an “unlawful act” that “erodes the regular operation” of the parliamentary body.
The undersigned opposition members of the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese public and the national and international community of their formal petition to the Constitutional Council. This petition challenges the National Assembly Bureau’s resolution dated May 24, 2026, which reinstated Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a parliamentary deputy.
After being appointed Prime Minister and subsequently elected as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko immediately faced a conflict of interest, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By opting to retain his governmental position, he effectively relinquished his parliamentary mandate, in accordance with the Constitution and the internal regulations then in force. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election to the presidency of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a clear and egregious breach of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. We believe that only the Constitutional Council, which is the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and the regulator of institutions, possesses the power to prevent such a grave act from escaping scrutiny.
Furthermore, we must highlight the necessity of resorting to bailiff summonses to secure the crucial documents required for our appeal. These documents include the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session held on May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Master Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly refused to provide these records. This denial of access to documents that are inherently public, to duly elected representatives of the Nation, and through official legal channels, constitutes a severe obstruction to the rights of deputies and to democratic transparency.
Consequently, we respectfully implore the Constitutional Council to uphold its full mandate by halting this abuse of power that undermines the proper functioning of the legislative institution.
We reiterate our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the Constitution and Senegalese democracy through exclusively legal and peaceful avenues. No majority, regardless of its size, stands above the Republic’s foundational law.
The signatory deputies
Daouda Dia
Aïssata Ousmane Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Raqui Diallo
Mamadou Diaw
Salimata Diop Dieng
Mbaye Dione
Thérèse Faye
Barane Fofana
Cheikh Omar Hann
Birima Mangara
Abdou Mbow
Fabineta Ndiaye
Anta Babacar Ngom
Thierno Alassane Sall
Maguette Sène
Abdoulaye Sylla
Tafsir Thioye
The deputies are urging the Constitutional Council to fully exercise its authority and put an end to what they describe as an “unlawful act” that “erodes the regular operation” of the parliamentary body.
The undersigned opposition members of the National Assembly wish to inform the Senegalese public and the national and international community of their formal petition to the Constitutional Council. This petition challenges the National Assembly Bureau’s resolution dated May 24, 2026, which reinstated Mr. Ousmane Sonko as a parliamentary deputy.
After being appointed Prime Minister and subsequently elected as a deputy in 2024, Mr. Sonko immediately faced a conflict of interest, as stipulated by Article 54 of the Constitution. By opting to retain his governmental position, he effectively relinquished his parliamentary mandate, in accordance with the Constitution and the internal regulations then in force. His subsequent reintegration, followed by his election to the presidency of the National Assembly on May 26, 2026, represents a clear and egregious breach of the Constitution and the fundamental principle of the separation of powers. We believe that only the Constitutional Council, which is the arbiter of parliamentary mandate validity and the regulator of institutions, possesses the power to prevent such a grave act from escaping scrutiny.
Furthermore, we must highlight the necessity of resorting to bailiff summonses to secure the crucial documents required for our appeal. These documents include the official act of Mr. Sonko’s reintegration and the minutes from the plenary session held on May 26, 2026. Despite being served on June 1, 2026, by Master Abou Sall, a judicial bailiff, both the Secretary-General and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly refused to provide these records. This denial of access to documents that are inherently public, to duly elected representatives of the Nation, and through official legal channels, constitutes a severe obstruction to the rights of deputies and to democratic transparency.
Consequently, we respectfully implore the Constitutional Council to uphold its full mandate by halting this abuse of power that undermines the proper functioning of the legislative institution.
We reiterate our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the Constitution and Senegalese democracy through exclusively legal and peaceful avenues. No majority, regardless of its size, stands above the Republic’s foundational law.
The signatory deputies
Daouda Dia
Aïssata Ousmane Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Raqui Diallo
Mamadou Diaw
Salimata Diop Dieng
Mbaye Dione
Thérèse Faye
Barane Fofana
Cheikh Omar Hann
Birima Mangara
Abdou Mbow
Fabineta Ndiaye
Anta Babacar Ngom
Thierno Alassane Sall
Maguette Sène
Abdoulaye Sylla
Tafsir Thioye
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