Senegal faces heated debate over constitutional revision as opposition parties protest

The Senegalese National Assembly is set to examine a proposed constitutional revision that would create a constitutional court, strengthen the prime minister’s powers, ban the president from leading a political party and tighten control over election results. The draft, put forward by the Pastef‑Les Patriotes parliamentary group, has sparked intense controversy.

Opposition figures and civil society argue the reform is a political maneuver rather than a response to urgent national needs. Journalist Bassirou Dieng warned that the proposal is "worse than the crises of 2011 and 2024" and called for a street mobilization on 29 June. The Alliance for the Republic (APR), the party of former president Macky Sall, issued a declaration demanding the immediate withdrawal of the text, describing it as a “non‑urgent” “constitutional patchwork” that threatens democratic balances and ignores the country’s economic hardships.

Political analyst Dr Yoro Dia labeled the amendment process an “mass distraction” from a “nakba economic” situation, urging a focus on growth rather than constitutional semantics. The debate highlights a split between the majority’s push for institutional change and critics who see the move as a tool to settle power struggles at the top of the state.