Lawmakers for Senegal move to reduce presidential powers don cause protest for di capital

    • Author, Wycliffe Muia
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Senegal lawmakers don pass one controversial constitutional reform wey go expand dia power more but e go reduce president power, dis don cause protest for outside di parliament.

Dem pass di reforms wit big majority afta many serious argument for parliament, show say power struggle don dey boil between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and im former ally wey don become rival, parliamentary Speaker Ousmane Sonko.

Di govment tok say dem go take di reforms go national referendum, but dem neva announce date.

Faye and Sonko come to power togeda for 2024 wit hope of many reforms, but di partnership don scatta as dia relationship dey shake, di kontri politics dey face uncertainity.

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Di relationship wey dey between di president and im former prime minister don fall for some months, as Sonko dey openly criticise Faye ova di way e dey handle Senegal debt problem.

E reach di highest for May wen Faye sack Sonko as prime minister, but Sonko, wey im party Pastef get di majority seats for National Assembly, dem choose am as di parliamentary speaker.

Di constitutional reforms wey Pastef propose go strengthen di parliament dem go get beta oversight, by giving lawmakers more power to investigate and make di govment openly tok about di agreements about di natural resources

Oda proposals include:

  • Di creation of Constitutional Court to replace di current Constitutional Council - wit nine instead of seven members
  • Di prohibition of sitting president from serving as leader of political party - dis move dey point at President Faye, wey still remains member of Pastef but e no longer hold official party position. If dem pass di bill, e fit make am harder for am to launch im own party ahead of di next election
  • Dem wan ban president from signing certain laws during di period between presidential election and di inauguration of di president-elect
  • Expanding di powers of parliamentary committees

Earlier on Monday, police fire tear gas to clear plenty protesters wey gada outside parliament as lawmakers dey discuss di constitutional amendments. Inside di chamber, tension dey high too, as opposition MPs carry out walkout protest.

Pastef, wey get 130 out of di 165 seats for National Assembly, tok say di changes na to make separation of powers strong among Senegal executive, legislature, and judiciary.

But di opposition see dis initiative as political revenge from di former prime minister wey still get many political influence ova di majority for di parliament.

During di parliamentary debate on Monday, Justice Minister Moussa Sarr announce say di president intention na to submit di matta go public vote through referendum.

But Sonko question if di president get di authority to do dat, e tok say majority of lawmakers don already back di reforms.

Di opposition and various civil society groups don criticise di amendments and call for dem to withdraw di bill immediately.