Senegal's Bassir Diomay Faye to Form New Political Party

Bassir Diomay Faye, previously the Prime Minister of Senegal until his ousting in May, is taking steps to establish a new political party. He has instructed senior advisor Aminata Touré to create a task force for this purpose.

This decision follows a split from his former ally, Ousmane Sonko, who leads the PASTEF party. Tensions between Faye and Sonko escalated as Sonko became the Speaker of the National Assembly and pushed for constitutional reforms.

Faye's new party formation is seen as a response to the political instability in Senegal, which has been exacerbated by revelations of misreported public debt levels from previous administrations. The upcoming local elections in 2027 are expected to be a critical test of electoral strength for Faye's new party.

Additionally, Faye has opted to submit a constitutional amendment to a national referendum rather than signing it into law, although the date for this referendum has not been announced.