Senegal Court Rejects Controversial Constitutional Amendments

Senegal's Constitutional Court ruled against proposed constitutional amendments adopted by Parliament on June 29, which sought to change provisions that prohibit a sitting president from serving as the leader of a political party. The amendments were driven by the PASTEF party, led by former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who criticized the proposals as an attempt at a power grab.

Following the court's decision, Sonko expressed respect for the ruling on his social media platform X. The court's ruling was requested by Bassir Diomay Fay, who sought a review of the legislative procedures to detect any violations that could invalidate the proposed reforms.

Analysts noted that the political upheaval surrounding this issue is complicated by a split within the former alliance involving Sonko, which has made it difficult for Senegal to resolve ongoing crises, including issues related to misreported debt disclosures for 2024.