Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in March on a platform of significant change, announced on Thursday September 12, that he is dissolving the National Assembly and scheduling legislative elections for November 17, 2024. The dissolution aims to secure a stable majority, as the current Assembly, elected in 2022 and dominated by former president Macky Sall’ supporters, has been resistant to Faye’s agenda.
“I am dissolving the National Assembly to seek from the people the institutional means to achieve the systemic transformation I promised,” said the 44-year-old president on national television, citing recent legislative blockages as a key reason. He criticized the Assembly’s majority for obstructing his project and prioritizing political deadlock.
Faye also questioned his predecessor Macky Sall’s management of public finances, referencing an audit submitted to the Cour des Comptes. He accused Sall’s administration of hidden financial mismanagement, including unchecked growth in wages, debt, subsidies, and external resource usage. Faye pledged to publish the report approved by the Cour des Comptes.