Senegal’s top court rejects constitutional reform

Senegal’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a proposed reform approved by parliament is unconstitutional, blocking changes that could have altered the balance of power within the country’s government.

The amendment, passed by the National Assembly on 29 June, was found to be “contrary to the Constitution”, according to a ruling issued on Thursday.

Among the proposed changes was a provision preventing a serving president from also leading a political party.

The decision comes after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced plans to establish his own political movement.

The reform had been promoted by the governing Pastef party, led by parliamentary speaker and former prime minister Ousmane Sonko.

Mr Faye dismissed Mr Sonko as prime minister in May, marking a sharp deterioration in relations between the two men, who had previously been close political allies.

Opposition figures and other critics had accused Mr Sonko of using the constitutional amendment to strengthen his political influence.

The Constitutional Court said President Faye had requested a review of the parliamentary process to determine whether procedural violations had taken place that could invalidate the reform.

Mr Sonko said in a post on X that he respected the court’s decision.

The dispute comes at a sensitive time for Senegal, which is seeking to address an economic crisis linked to the disclosure in 2024 of previously unreported public debt.

Political divisions between Mr Faye and Mr Sonko could make efforts to restore confidence in the country’s institutions and finances more difficult.