The President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has moved to submit the constitutional revision to a referendum, effectively countering the recent parliamentary victory secured by the opposition. This bold maneuver has reignited the constitutional debate and fundamentally altered the balance of power within the National Assembly.
The Palace intervenes in the legislative process
While the parliamentary majority recently handed Pastef a significant legislative win by passing the constitutional revision bill with 129 votes, the final decision from the Palace has completely changed the landscape. Justice Minister Me Moussa Sarr confirmed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has decided not to proceed with the promulgation of the text as approved by the National Assembly. Instead, he has chosen to invoke Article 103 of the Constitution to bring the reform directly to a popular referendum.
A strategic shift against the parliamentary majority
This decision represents a direct halt to the legislative strategy previously championed by Pastef. All signs had pointed toward a rapid adoption of the reform; despite the rejection of government amendments, the majority in the National Assembly had validated the version produced by the commission. However, behind the scenes, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has neutralized this parliamentary success, shifting the final word from the deputies to the citizens of Sénégal.
The current institutional impasse highlights a growing rift, as the head of state opts for a direct democratic appeal rather than following the path set by the legislative body. This move places Ousmane Sonko and the parliamentary supporters of the bill in a complex position, as the executive branch reasserts its control over the reform process.