Political instability in Senegal has intensified as the country’s National Assembly leader El Malick Ndiaye stepped down from his position on Sunday, just two days following the president’s decision to remove the prime minister from office.
Ndiaye, who holds a prominent position within the governing PASTEF party, characterized his departure as a personal choice, stating he was acting in the “higher interest of the nation” when explaining his decision to resign.
The resignation follows President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s Friday dismissal of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the dissolution of the entire government, marking the end of months of escalating friction between the two officials.
The relationship between Faye and Sonko, former political partners who rose to power as a team in 2024, has deteriorated amid increasing economic pressures related to national debt and domestic consequences stemming from the Iran war.
Parliamentary members are scheduled to meet Tuesday for votes on two key matters: restoring Sonko’s status as a legislator and selecting Ndiaye’s replacement to lead the National Assembly.
However, some opposition voices argue that returning Sonko to parliamentary status would violate legal requirements, pointing out that he has never previously served as a member of parliament.
