Senegal President warned of constitutional power grab by ruling Pastef

Political commentators have addressed the President of Senegal, warning that the country faces a critical constitutional crisis. They allege that the ruling party Pastef, which holds an absolute majority in the National Assembly, is planning a “constitutional coup” to revise the constitution and potentially enable the parliament to dismiss the president.

The critics cite the Constitutional Council’s recent declaration of incompetence to rule on the reintegration of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko as a deputy, saying the decision leaves a gap in constitutional safeguards. They argue that the Council’s omission of article 54, which deals with incompatibility, further undermines constitutional oversight. The repeated quotation “Tout pouvoir doit être arrêté par un autre, car le pouvoir absolu n’est que du ressort de Dieu” is used to stress the need for checks on power.

The authors call on the President to act decisively to protect democratic institutions and prevent the state from sliding into deeper difficulties.