Dakar, Dec 18 (APS) – The Constitutional Council declared itself on Wednesday incompetent to judge the request for annulment of a deliberation on the recent election of the office of the National Assembly introduced by fourteen deputies of the parliamentary opposition, the APS learned from a document emanating from the constitutional court.
The Constitutional Council was contacted following the election of the office of the parliamentary institution marked by a divergence of interpretation of the provisions of the internal regulations relating to respect for parity.
In a judgment rendered on Wednesday, the court notably declared itself incompetent by considering that it results, contrary to the applicants’ allegations, that the exercise of its constitutional powers in electoral matters ends with the proclamation of the final results of the vote marking the end of the electoral process.
A lively debate before the election of the office of the National Assembly
The Constitutional Council therefore considers that the election of the office of the National Assembly, which arises from the internal organization of this institution, is not part of the electoral process.
He adds that the deliberation attacked by the applicants does not directly contribute to the regularity of the legislative elections of November 17, 2024.
The election of the office of the new National Assembly was preceded on Monday, December 2 by a lively debate revolving around the interpretation of the rules governing parity.
Everything started from a blockage born from the desire of the Takku Wallu Senegal group (opposition) to award the position of vice-president which rightfully belonged to it to Mohamed Ngom known as Farba. What the majority group, Pastef-Les Patriotes, opposed, arguing that it should go to a woman in accordance with the rules of parity.
Aïssata Tall Sall, president of the opposition group, firmly defended her camp’s position, rejecting accusations of non-respect for women’s rights. She believed that her appointment as head of the Takku Wallu Senegal parliamentarians in the National Assembly was proof of a commitment to respect for women’s rights.
“For the first time, our group has elected a woman as president. This clearly illustrates our commitment to women’s rights,” she insisted.
The former Minister of Justice did not fail to challenge the interpretation of articles 13 and 14 of the internal regulations of the National Assembly concerning parity, specifying that no provision imposes it in this specific context. “The National Assembly is not a court. If a provision is deemed violated, only the courts can decide,” she recalled.
Concerning the proposal for the position of eighth vice-president, she stressed that her group had submitted a complete list at 11 a.m., in accordance with the requirements, and nominated their candidate, Mohamed Ngom.
“We followed the law and filed our documents on time. The debate focused only on the application of the law, which must be discussed in a spirit of consultation and not of accusation,” she added.
For his part, the president of the parliamentary group of Pastef-Les Patriotes, Mohamed Ayib Salim Daffé, estimated that the list of candidates, submitted to the General Secretariat, scrupulously respects the parity requirements in accordance with the texts.
“According to the calculation based on the highest average method, the first seven positions of vice-presidents belong to us, and we have respected parity on this list,” he argued, denouncing what he considered to be maneuvers aimed at blocking the work of the parliamentary institution.
AKS/MTN
