Minister diouf reignites debate, challenging ousmane sonko on special credits bill
Tensions au sommet : Le ministre Abdourahmane Diouf s’en prend de nouveau à Ousmane Sonko
Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf asserts that Ousmane Sonko’s recent visits to religious centers directly contradict the actual content of the legislative text brought before Parliament. “What he is proposing in the National Assembly bears no resemblance to what he conveyed to our religious leaders,” Diouf declared emphatically, highlighting what he perceives as a “profound moral issue.”
The ongoing debate surrounding the reform of special credits has reached a new phase. Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, who serves as the Minister of Petroleum and the Deputy General Supervisor for the KIIRAAY / Les Patriotes Républicains coalition, has forcefully criticized the National Assembly’s proposed bill concerning these funds. He has accused the parliamentary majority, led by its president, Ousmane Sonko, of employing “double standards” when addressing religious institutions.
Minister Diouf maintains that Ousmane Sonko’s recent engagements with religious communities are inconsistent with the true nature of the legislative text currently under parliamentary review. “The provisions he advocates in the National Assembly are entirely disconnected from the narrative he presented to our spiritual guides,” Diouf reiterated, pointing to a “significant moral failing.” The minister bases his critique on Article 2 of the parliamentary proposal, which strictly earmarks special credits “exclusively” for national defense, security, and intelligence operations. Furthermore, he cites Article 5, which explicitly excludes social welfare expenditures. Diouf characterizes this wording as constituting “anti-social and anti-religious credits,” arguing that it effectively shuts down any provisions for solidarity with vulnerable segments of society.
In stark contrast, Diouf commended the Executive’s proposed amendments, which aim to reintroduce clauses for “the preservation of social order” alongside “humanitarian values, mutual assistance, and solidarity.” His conclusion was unequivocal: “Where the Assembly seeks to exclude, the Executive strives to include.” Finally, Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf reproached Ousmane Sonko for his own unreserved utilization of political funds during his tenure as Prime Minister. Diouf urged Sonko to acknowledge the full implications of his legislative text, stating, “Accept the discriminatory impact of your allocation of political funds on our religious communities! For the Republic! Nothing but the Republic!”
