A member of the Political Bureau of the Socialist Party (PS), Mamadou Mbodj Diouf has called for calm and clarification of internal debates, which he considers to have become "unhealthy and counterproductive."

"As the saying goes, even if I don't agree with what you say, I will fight to ensure you have a space to say it," he recalled, before expressing his concerns about the tensions running through the political party.

According to him, the Socialist Party today gives "the worrying image of a ship without a rudder, tossed about by the waves and individual moods", between insistent calls for a congress to be held and repeated attacks against the party spokesperson.

Mamadou Mbodj Diouf insisted on reiterating the obvious: "Comrade Abdoulaye Wilane is indeed the official spokesperson of the Socialist Party. He has held this position since the 2014 congress, first as deputy, then as full member, after the exclusion of Me Aïssata Tall Sall, who previously held this title. This is not open to any dispute, as it is an institutional reality."

He also denounced what he considers an injustice in the criticism. "How can we justify the fact that some people are attacking the statements of the official spokesperson, while others, without any recognized qualifications, express themselves freely and without restraint? If there must be criticism, it cannot be selective or directed solely against the person who has embodied, for more than a decade, the institutional voice of the party."

For Mamadou Mbodj Diouf, the real issues lie elsewhere. "The next congress, announced within six months, must be an opportunity to clarify our orientations and renew our bodies. However, through sterile polemics and close branding, we risk weakening our collective credibility and diverting attention from the real challenges."

In conclusion, he calls for a return to calm: "It is time for the Socialist Party to regain its dignity in internal debate. This requires everyone to accept the diversity of points of view, without casting anathema on the comrades who exercise their responsibilities with complete legitimacy. Only a calm, respectful and constructive discussion will allow us to break this impasse and give the Party the necessary momentum to face the political battles to come."