Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has announced that he will remain in his position as head of government, despite his party’s landslide victory in the November 17 snap parliamentary elections.
His ruling party, Pastef, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Sonko, secured 130 out of 165 seats in the national assembly. This victory is one of the largest majorities ever achieved by a single party in Senegal’s history and sparked discussions about whether Sonko should step down as prime minister to lead the parliament for the sake of institutional balance.
Some had suggested that Sonko should preside over the parliament to prevent potential conflicts of interest, particularly given that President Faye’s position owes much to Sonko’s influence. Sonko, who played a key role in Faye’s victory in the presidential elections in March and has served as prime minister since April, addressed these speculations directly. “I’m staying on at the prime minister’s office. I had come to submit my letter of resignation as an MP,” Sonko said at the national assembly, just before the new lawmakers were due to join. “We have started work at the prime minister’s office. The president needs me by his side. We are continuing this work,” he added.
With Pastef’s overwhelming legislative win, Senegal’s new leadership now has the political mandate to push forward its reform agenda, particularly in addressing the country’s high inflation and widespread unemployment.
