Senegal Assembly Passes 165-Seat Power Shift, Prompting Referendum
Updated
Updated · Africanews English · Jun 30
Senegal Assembly Passes 165-Seat Power Shift, Prompting Referendum
3 articles · Updated · Africanews English · Jun 30
Summary
An overwhelming Assembly majority approved a constitutional bill that would strengthen parliament and the prime minister while cutting presidential authority, and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye responded by calling a national referendum.
Pastef, which controls 130 of the 165 seats, says the overhaul would better rebalance executive, legislative and judicial powers in Senegal's presidential system.
The vote unfolded in a highly charged session: one opposition lawmaker was forcibly removed after refusing to leave the podium, and nearly all opposition MPs then boycotted the chamber.
Around 50 protesters, mostly from former president Macky Sall's APR party, later tried to storm the Assembly; police used tear gas, stones were thrown and several arrests were made.
The reform deepens the rupture between Faye and Ousmane Sonko, whom Faye fired as prime minister in May before Sonko became Assembly speaker and backed the measure.
Is Senegal's constitutional overhaul a genuine democratic reform or a calculated act of political revenge?
As former allies clash, who truly controls Senegal's economic future: the president or parliament?
Senegal in 2026: Constitutional Overhaul, Political Crisis, and the Battle for Democratic Stability
Overview
In late June 2026, Senegal's National Assembly passed major constitutional reforms that mark a turning point for the country's governance and elections. Central to these changes is a bill to create an Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which will take over election management from the Ministry of the Interior. This aims to boost the independence and credibility of future elections. After parliamentary approval, the government announced plans to hold a national referendum on the reforms, with the Justice Minister confirming the president's intention for a public vote. These steps signal a significant shift in Senegal's political landscape.