Bras de fer constitutionnel : Aminata Touré brandit la menace d'un référendum face aux députés
Faced with what she calls an imminent threat to the balance of power, the coordinator of the Diomaye President coalition reiterated this Sunday, June 28, 2026, that the Head of State still possesses major constitutional mechanisms to assert his legitimacy, notably the direct arbitration of the ballot box. Meeting in a conference of leaders of the presidential coalition, the former Prime Minister clearly raised the option of a direct popular consultation to thwart the ambitions of the members of parliament from the majority party. "The Senegalese people will not accept having a disguised parliamentary system imposed upon them. If necessary, we will hold a referendum. The President of the Republic has the exclusive prerogative to submit this crucial question to the people's judgment," she firmly warned.
For the political leader, this direct appeal to the people is essential in the face of a legislative offensive she likens to a veritable "reprisal operation." She accuses some members of parliament of instigating a dynamic of revenge and an unprecedented quest for power, using their influence in the National Assembly to exert institutional blackmail on the executive branch. Several provisions proposed by the members of parliament are in her sights, notably the strict limitation of the president's power to dissolve the National Assembly and the strengthening of parliamentary oversight mechanisms regarding the government. According to her, such measures risk creating a permanent institutional deadlock, solely to the detriment of the executive branch.
A proposed constitutional revision that has been "diverted"
The coordinator of the ruling coalition accused members of parliament of having profoundly altered the spirit of the reform initially initiated by the presidency. According to her, the initial texts submitted to Parliament were based on the consensus reached through the national dialogue on justice and the political dialogue. However, the amendments introduced in committee, in her view, completely distorted the original draft. "The bill presented by the president has simply been hijacked. Through these amendments, the text has become unrecognizable," she lamented.
This parliamentary maneuver, according to Aminata Touré, reflects a clear desire to strip the President of the Republic of his status as guarantor of the institutions. “We are in a presidential system. The President of the Republic determines the nation's policy and is its legitimate guarantor. Today, some want to wrest power from Bassirou Diomaye Faye and transfer it to the President of the National Assembly,” she vigorously denounced. From the outset of her address, she emphasized Senegal's democratic trajectory, which she has held up as a model of stability on the continent since 1960: “The political leaders who have succeeded one another have always prioritized the general interest over personal interests. There are very few countries that have never experienced a coup d'état. We absolutely must preserve this stability, which has been the strength of our democracy,” she insisted.
Social emergencies versus parliamentary squabbles
For the coalition's general supervisor, the country faces far more pressing social emergencies than these petty institutional squabbles. Believing that the National Assembly's agenda should focus on the real needs of the people, she listed the priorities that are pressing on the daily lives of Senegalese citizens: "Farmers are waiting for seeds, young people are looking for jobs, and families are struggling with the high cost of living. These are the crucial issues that should be at the forefront of the National Assembly's agenda."
In conclusion, while maintaining the threat of a referendum should parliamentary pressure persist, Aminata Touré made a solemn appeal to members of parliament to place the nation's best interests above partisan calculations. She also called on all citizens to remain absolutely vigilant in the face of this attempt to unilaterally reconfigure the country's institutional framework.
Commentaires (84)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.
Se connecter
Commentez avec votre profil, votre photo, et soyez averti des réponses.