During the inaugural extraordinary session of Senegal’s National Assembly, President Ousmane Sonko announced the rejection of seven legislative initiatives presented by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The decision was formally communicated during the opening session, which followed a formal convocation by the Assembly’s bureau on August 6.
Seven bills deferred to future sessions
Among the initiatives blocked from the current agenda are several high-profile ratification bills, including:
- A bill authorizing the president to ratify the Marrakech Treaty, aimed at improving access to published works for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled individuals;
- Bills ratifying amendments to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation;
- A military and technical cooperation agreement between Senegal and the Republic of the Congo;
- Extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties between Senegal and the United Arab Emirates;
- A draft treaty on mutual judicial assistance in criminal matters between Senegal and Italy.
Ousmane Sonko clarified that these proposals will not be included in the current session’s agenda but may be reconsidered in future extraordinary sessions or during the ordinary session.
Agenda set for urgent constitutional and governance proposals
The Assembly’s bureau has prioritized three government bills and two legislative proposals for immediate review, including:
- The draft Labor Code;
- The draft Social Security Code;
- Measures to protect critical information infrastructure and digital security;
- A proposal to amend Article 37 of the Constitution regarding presidential asset declarations, to be reviewed under urgent procedures;
- A bill on the legal framework for special appropriations, also slated for expedited consideration.
Additionally, six parliamentary inquiry commissions will be established to examine:
- Irregularities in land management;
- State-owned property divestment operations;
- Government use of Total Return Swap financial mechanisms;
- Allegations of misconduct in the “One Student, One Laptop” program;
- Losses from tax exemptions and revenue abandonment;
- Conditions for issuing and renewing fishing licenses.
