Published on : 11/09/2022 – 23:21
The Senegalese Parliament returns on Monday. The 165 deputies of the 14th legislature are expected at the National Assembly at 10 a.m. At the end of the legislative elections of July 31, President Macky Sall’s coalition narrowly won an absolute majority, with 82 elected, plus one rallying, that of Pape Diop. The opposition of the Yewwi Askan Wi and Wallu Senegal coalitions, which had formed an alliance, won 80 seats. The first act of the new Assembly will be the election of its President.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac
Who to replace Moustapha Niasse, loyal to President Macky Sall, on the perch? On the side of the majority, the names of Aminata Touré – head of the Benno Bokk Yaakaar list in the legislative elections -, Amadou Ba – former Minister of Foreign Affairs – or even Aly Ngouille Ndiaye – former Minister of the Interior – have circulated in the press.
Will the opposition manage to stay united? Barthélémy Dias, mayor of Dakar, announced his candidacy for Yewwi Askan Wi on Sunday. But the deputy mayor of Guédiawaye, Ahmed Aïdara, is also in the running. And in the Wallu Senegal camp, formed around former President Abdoulaye Wade, the name of Mamadou Lamine Thiam had been put forward.
This weekend, majority and opposition brought together the elected officials during seminars. ” It’s a classic “, relativizes an official of the presidential coalition, “ a moment of exchange, to familiarize the new deputies with the rules of the Assembly “. A way also to mobilize the troops, because each voice will count: the vote for the president will be done in the morning by secret ballot. If deputies did not respect group discipline, he could reserve surprises.
The return to parliament opens in any case an unprecedented political sequence, before the expected appointment of a new Prime Minister. The post, abolished by the Head of State in 2019, then reinstated at the end of 2021, has still not been filled. In sight: the presidential election scheduled for 2024.
►Also read: Legislative in Senegal: power and opposition neck and neck