Africa-Press. The Senegalese National Assembly opens an extraordinary session today, Monday, August 17, lasting one week, with an agenda that includes discussions on five bills. This comes at a time when the issue of asset declaration is at the forefront of tensions between the government and the parliamentary majority led by the party “Pestif” (African Patriots of Senegal for Work).
On Monday morning, lawmakers will discuss a bill proposing to amend Article 37 of the Constitution regarding the asset declaration of senior officials, aimed at enhancing transparency rules, particularly concerning the President.
Under current rules, the President must submit a declaration of assets within three months of taking office. The new bill stipulates that he must provide a second declaration at the end of his term, allowing for a comparison of his financial status at the beginning and end of his term.
Following an amendment approved by the relevant committee, this obligation will also extend to the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly, in a move intended to broaden financial transparency to include a larger number of senior officials in the state.
This reform reignites tensions between the presidential camp and the “Pestif” party, which holds the parliamentary majority. In late June, members of parliament approved a constitutional amendment that includes expanding the scope of asset disclosure; however, President Bashir Doumay Faye challenged the text before the Constitutional Council, which ultimately rejected it.
The head of the “Pestif” bloc, Aib Dafi, accuses President Bashir Doumay Faye of obstructing the transparency reforms promised by the ruling camp. The parliamentary majority is currently seeking to pass the new reform but faces concerns about the possibility of it being challenged again before the Constitutional Council or resorting to a referendum on the matter.
The contentious issues during this extraordinary session are not limited to asset declaration, as discussions are expected on August 19 regarding a bill related to special appropriations, which are financial funds managed by the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s office, with the “Pestif” party demanding greater parliamentary oversight over them.
The agenda also includes discussions on reforms related to labor law and social security law, along with several other pieces of legislation.
This session comes amid ongoing disputes between the presidency and the parliamentary majority regarding the nature of the reforms and their implementation mechanisms, making the discussions in the National Assembly this week a significant test of the relationship between the governing institutions in Senegal.
