President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced his intention to put the proposed constitutional revision to a referendum, should it be approved by parliament. The reform, championed by the ruling majority, aims to recalibrate the balance of power between state institutions and curtail the president’s sweeping authorities.
The decision was relayed on Monday, June 29, by Justice Minister Moussa Sarr during a session at the National Assembly. According to the minister, the head of state informed the parliamentary speaker of his choice to invoke Article 103 of the constitution, which allows a constitutional amendment to be referred to a popular vote.
The text under discussion seeks to reshape Senegal’s institutional architecture by strengthening the roles of various state branches. It envisions a more equitable distribution of competencies among the executive, legislative, and judicial powers, thereby limiting certain prerogatives traditionally held by the president.
Divergences at the summit of Senegal’s executive
The reform enjoys backing from the parliamentary majority aligned with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, whose party holds a dominant position in the National Assembly. However, the initiative comes amid growing tensions between the two leading figures of Senegal’s executive branch.
Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko, longstanding political allies, ascended to power following the March 2024 presidential election — a watershed moment for political alternation in the country. In recent months, disagreements have surfaced between the two men on multiple issues, raising questions about cohesion at the highest state level.
By resorting to a referendum, President Faye sidesteps the possibility of the reform being enacted solely through parliamentary channels and instead seeks direct endorsement from the citizenry. The upcoming popular consultation will therefore decide the fate of a project that its proponents present as a pivotal step toward reorganising Senegal’s institutional framework.
