The Democratic Front for the Republic (FDR) has issued a strong statement calling for the immediate removal of Ousmane Sonko from his seat in the National Assembly. The coalition, led by Khalifa Sall, condemns his parliamentary presence as both illegal and illegitimate, framing it as a violation of Senegal’s democratic principles.
In a communiqué released this Wednesday, the FDR highlighted its support for a unified opposition front of 147 political parties and movements that signed a joint declaration on May 24, denouncing what they describe as a parliamentary coup attempt orchestrated by the PASTEF party. The coalition also praised opposition lawmakers for taking legal action by submitting a case to the Constitutional Council, seeking to challenge Sonko’s continued mandate.
The FDR’s argument rests on Article LO172 of Senegal’s Electoral Code, which stipulates that a minister elected as a deputy must resign from government within eight days or forfeit their parliamentary seat. The coalition contends that PASTEF attempted to bypass this requirement by altering the Assembly’s internal regulations, a move they argue is unconstitutional on two fronts.
Legal and constitutional violations alleged
First, the FDR points out that the Constitution mandates any such procedural change must be enshrined in an organic law within the Electoral Code—not buried in an internal regulation. Second, the coalition argues that the newly introduced concept of “deputy substitutes” has no legal basis in Senegalese law, which only recognizes substitutes in the context of departmental or proportional voting systems. In their view, PASTEF’s actions simultaneously breach the Constitution, the Electoral Code, and the Assembly’s own regulations, whose purpose is strictly limited to internal governance under Article 1.
The FDR is urging the nation’s civic leaders to unite behind a coordinated action plan to enforce the rule of law and restore constitutional order. The coalition frames this as a critical moment for defending Senegal’s democratic institutions against what they perceive as systematic attempts to undermine them.
