Dakar, June 29 (APS) – The office of the National Assembly described as “outrageous and discourteous” the remarks of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko who raised the possibility of making his general policy statement outside the chamber.
In response to the open letter addressed to him by MP Guy Marius Sagna, the Prime Minister indicated that his statement is “already ready”. However, it will only be presented to the National Assembly “when the provisions of Articles 97, 98 and 99 and Chapters 22, 23 and 24, which mention the post of Prime Minister, the motion of censure and the question of confidence, are re-established”.
Continuing, Ousmane Sonko suggested that in the event of failure of the Assembly, by July 15, 2024, “I will hold my general policy declaration before an assembly made up of the sovereign Senegalese people, partners of Senegal and a jury composed of academics, intellectuals and apolitical citizen actors”.
“This will be an opportunity for a free, open and, undoubtedly, much higher quality debate,” he said.
“The Bureau strongly denounces the Prime Minister’s remarks which, in addition to their outrageous nature, constitute a real threat to the normal functioning of the institutions of the Republic and to the preservation of republican values, the constant defense of which has allowed Senegal to maintain the stability it is recognized for,” we can read in the document made public on Saturday.
According to the document seen by APS, “these extremely serious remarks attack the spirit and the letter of the Constitution of the Republic of Senegal.”
The Office said it noted “with indignation the discourteous remarks, the unacceptable injunctions, as well as the shortcomings in form and substance contained in the said message, in violation of the rules of operation of the Institutions, the separation of powers and republican elegance ”.
It is for this reason that he decided to cancel the plenary session dedicated to the budgetary orientation debate which was to be held the same day before the deputies of the 14th legislature.
The budgetary orientation debate was canceled “to the extent that the Prime Minister, Head of Government of which the Minister of Finance and Budget is a member, does not intend to make his general policy declaration before the National Assembly”, informs the same source.
FD/SMD
