During a high-profile visit to the Baol region, Ousmane Sonko, leader of the Pastef movement, significantly escalated his rhetoric against President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. His remarks came during a Sunday gathering in Touba, where he inaugurated the local Pastef headquarters before addressing pressing political concerns.
The sharp tone followed the recent decision by the Constitutional Council to invalidate the constitutional revision law, a move Sonko openly contested. Initially, he had called for respect of the high court’s ruling, emphasizing its binding nature for all institutions. However, in Touba, his stance shifted dramatically as he directly challenged the President’s repeated recourse to constitutional arbitration.
« Each week, the President refers the matter to the Constitutional Council, » Sonko declared, highlighting what he sees as a systematic presidential tactic to undermine parliamentary initiatives through constitutional challenges. He went further, questioning the very logic behind the court’s decision: « The Constitutional Council cannot dictate that deputies must pass laws solely to please the President. »
The leader of Pastef was particularly critical of the court’s reasoning, which had focused on procedural grounds—such as the lack of compensatory funding for new public positions created by the bill and the failure to follow the blocked voting procedure. Sonko concluded his address with a stark warning: « What is happening in this country is deeply troubling. »
His comments mark a notable shift from his earlier conciliatory posture following the July 9 decision. This newfound assertiveness coincides with Pastef’s ongoing tour in the Baol region, intended as a grassroots engagement effort, but now appearing as a strategic counter-move in response to the presidential camp’s recent political maneuvers, including the establishment of its own party and high-profile meetings with local officials.
