Senegal’s Constitutional Council has declared itself incompetent to rule on the legal status of Ousmane Sonko, the country’s second-highest-ranking official. The decision immediately drew sharp criticism from the Front for the Defense of Democracy and the Republic (FDR), which issued a statement condemning the move.
For the FDR, the council’s refusal to address the matter does nothing to legitimise what it calls an ‘illegal situation’—one the coalition describes as a ‘forfeiture of duty’. The group insists that every citizen has an obligation to oppose this state of affairs, which it considers contrary to moral standards and the common good.
In a further sign of determination, the FDR’s Leaders’ Conference announced it would take all lawful steps to build what it terms a ‘democratic alternative’. The coalition is now calling on political parties, civil society organisations, trade unions, and the youth to join in forming a broad front against what it sees as an attack on democratic principles.
