During a plenary session focused on reforms to the Labour Code and Social Security Code, Ousmane Sonko used the platform to address growing speculation about a supposed ultimatum targeting the presidency amid the constitutional revision process. With decisive clarity, he dismissed all claims of institutional pressure or political confrontation, stating bluntly: “That’s false. We never issued an ultimatum to the president.”
Sonko underscored that the parliamentary initiative operates strictly within the constitutional framework, free from any executive interference. The reform effort, he explained, reflects a long-debated public initiative aimed at strengthening Senegal’s institutional framework. He further clarified that the process follows the derived constituent power mechanism, fully compliant with constitutional provisions and jurisprudence from the Constitutional Council.
No institutional crisis, only constitutional dialogue
Highlighting a landmark 2006 Constitutional Council ruling, Sonko affirmed that the National Assembly holds the legitimate authority to pursue constitutional revisions, provided it secures a three-fifths majority. This legal precedent, he argued, reinforces the validity and legitimacy of the ongoing parliamentary action.
Dismissing political interpretations that framed the process as contentious, Sonko insisted there is no crisis at the highest levels of government. Instead, he described the situation as a normal functioning of institutions within a structured constitutional dialogue. Each branch of government, he noted, exercises its powers without encroaching on those of others, all under the oversight of the Constitutional Council.
“Those waiting for a crisis at the summit of the state can look elsewhere,” he remarked, concluding his address with a firm reaffirmation of the parliamentary process’s continuity. The constitutional revision will proceed according to established legal procedures, regardless of whether the executive submits a formal opinion, he stated.
For Sonko, the priority remains adherence to constitutional mechanisms, ensuring a stable and legally sound framework for Senegal’s democratic institutions.
