Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on Monday that he will remain in his current position rather than assume the role of president of the national assembly.
This choice comes in light of his party’s success in the recent snap parliamentary elections, where the ruling Pastef party, under the leadership of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Sonko, won 130 out of 165 seats in the national assembly on November 17.
This victory marks one of the largest majorities achieved by a single party in the history of the West African nation, leading to discussions about whether Sonko should resign as prime minister to take the helm of the national assembly for the sake of institutional balance.
Some observers suggested that Sonko should lead the parliament to mitigate potential conflicts arising from an executive branch where the president’s position is dependent on the prime minister.
Sonko has been a significant figure in securing President Faye’s victory in March and has been at the helm of the government since its establishment in April.
“I will continue my role as prime minister. I had intended to submit my resignation as a member of parliament,” Sonko stated at the national assembly, just before the new lawmakers were set to take their seats.
“We have commenced our work at the prime minister’s office. The president requires my support. We will carry on with this work,” he added.
Africa24hrs gathered that with Sonko’s decision to remain in his role, Malick Ndiaye, a trusted ally and the current minister of transport, was elected as the president of the national assembly on Monday.
The decisive legislative victory for Pastef provides Senegal’s new leadership with the opportunity to pursue their ambitious reform agenda, as the nation faces challenges such as high inflation and widespread unemployment.
