The debate on electoral code reform took a tense procedural turn this Tuesday in the National Assembly. MP Tafsir Thioye challenged the Speaker of the Assembly, denouncing a breach of the law during the examination of draft law no. 11/2026.

At the heart of his objection lies the application of Article 82 of the Rules of Procedure, which strictly governs the use of emergency procedures. This provision stipulates that an emergency procedure can be requested either by the President of the Republic—in which case it is automatically granted—or by at least one-tenth of the members of parliament. In the latter case, the request must be put to a vote immediately and can be rejected if two dissenting votes are cast.

According to Tafsir Thioye, these requirements were not met. He asserts that no formal vote was held to validate the emergency procedure initiated by members of parliament, which, in his view, constitutes a major irregularity. Addressing the chamber, the MP did not mince words. Recalling the role of the presiding officer, he emphasized the need to guarantee strict adherence to parliamentary rules. "You are the guarantor of respect for procedures," he declared, questioning the conduct of the proceedings.

In the same breath, he demanded the immediate suspension of the session for the day, or even its outright cancellation. He believes that the conditions for a proper examination of the text are not met and that the relevant committee cannot validly sit in such a context of violation of the Rules of Procedure.