The Speaker of Senegal’s Parliament, El Malick Ndiaye, has announced on Sunday, May 24, his resignation, intensifying the political crisis triggered by the dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
Ndiaye’s departure paves the way for Sonko, a key figure in the ruling Pastef party, to seek election as head of Parliament, where the party holds a commanding majority. Lawmakers are expected to meet on Tuesday to reinstate Sonko as a Member of Parliament and elect a new Speaker.
The developments follow President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s decision on Friday to remove Sonko as prime minister after months of growing tensions between the former allies.
Faye’s rise to the Presidency was largely attributed to Sonko’s support, as the latter was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election because of a defamation conviction. Their Pastef party later secured a decisive electoral victory on promises of political reform, anti-corruption measures and economic recovery.
Relations between the two leaders have deteriorated in recent months, with Sonko accusing President Faye of a “failure of leadership” and criticising what he described as the slow pace of corruption investigations involving former government officials.
The pair have also reportedly disagreed over how to address Senegal’s mounting public debt, leading to the collapse of their governing alliance and raising fresh uncertainty over the country’s reform agenda.