Simplice Mathieu Sarandji was elected president of the National Assembly on Wednesday, May 5, with 69 votes out of 87. He thus becomes the second most senior member of the State for the next five years. Due to the security situation, only 90 out of a total of 140 deputies were elected in the first round of legislative elections, which were severely disrupted on December 27. Despite the debates, the Constitutional Court ruled that the quorum was reached and that the new Assembly seemed to give the advantage to the ruling party.
Following the negotiations, most of the deputies elected under the “independent” label finally rallied behind the candidacy of Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, “SMS” for short. This geographer, who trained at a French university, is 66 years old. Back in the country after a medical evacuation, his health condition still raises questions.
Former Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019, he was forced to resign by the Khartoum agreements, and was then appointed special adviser to the presidency. He is the current executive secretary of the United Hearts Movement, the party of President Touadéra, of which he was also the campaign manager.
He is one of the closest collaborators of the Head of State. Martin Ziguélé, who came in second with 17 votes, denounced a “monopolization of political space by the party in power.
This Thursday, May 6, deputies will elect the new Bureau of the National Assembly. 50 seats remain to be filled in by new elections scheduled for May 23.