Incident protocolaire à Koumpentoum : d'anciennes députées contredisent le préfet
A protocol incident marred the official ceremony of the Pencum Niany festival in Koumpentoum. Two members of parliament from the Pastef party, Moussa Mbaye and Awa Sow, refused to stand upon the arrival of the prefect of the department, Safiatou Joséphine Dieng, breaking with the usual customs of institutional courtesy.
According to local media sources, the administrative authority then asked them to comply with protocol or leave the official stand, causing a moment of tension at this cultural event.
The affair, widely shared on social media, continues to elicit mixed reactions. Former MP Mame Diarra Fam defended the parliamentarians. "Madam Prefect, if an MP stands before you, it is out of courtesy. It is not an obligation. The MP is elected by direct universal suffrage, just like the President," she wrote on Facebook.
Adji Mbergane Kanouté, also a former member of parliament, shared this view, emphasizing, "The MP rises out of courtesy, not obligation. The parliamentary function must be valued. Respect to these two MPs who honor the people they represent with dignity."
Faced with the controversy, Prefect Safiatou Joséphine Dieng defended an interpretation based on respect for republican symbols. "We may have different opinions, different backgrounds, but when we are gathered under the symbols of the Republic, there is only one posture that honors us," she declared, adding that "civic duty is not a weakness, it is a strength."
Beyond the incident, this episode reignites the debate on the relationship between administrative authorities and elected officials, as well as on the requirements of republican protocol in official events.
The Pencum Niany festival, now in its 8th edition, aims to promote the cultures of Niani and Wouly. Held under the theme "Culture and sport, two levers for integration and sustainable development of our territories", the event was intended to be a moment of cohesion, now overshadowed by this controversy.
Commentaires (15)
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.