Thierno Bocoum notes a change in the behavior of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko: “We gave them time to organize themselves, always encouraging the break. However, this time of observation is now over. The behavior of the Prime Minister is not reassuring. He does not seem to have the capacity required for this position. He respects neither the institutions of the country nor the Senegalese,” declared the president of the AGIR movement.
Regarding the controversy over the general policy statement, Thierno Bocoum claims that Ousmane Sonko is wrong: “If questions of internal regulations arise in the National Assembly, they only concern the deputies. On the other hand, the DPG falls under article 55 of the Constitution, requiring the Prime Minister to present it to the National Assembly. Ousmane Sonko does not have to give orders to the deputies.”
He stressed that the Prime Minister is not bound by strict deadlines and should not give ultimatums to MPs: “If the 90 days are exceeded, the Prime Minister is no longer bound by these deadlines. Threatening MPs is a serious mistake. According to Article 64 of the Constitution, any imperative mandate is null. Ousmane Sonko must respect the separation of powers. If MPs give in to the Prime Minister’s injunctions, they no longer represent the people. Sonko has no right to give ultimatums to parliamentarians. Their objective seems to be to dissolve parliament and call legislative elections. MPs must not accept this,” assured the former parliamentarian.
According to Thierno Bocoum, the Prime Minister must present his DPG to the National Assembly: “If he chooses to do so outside the chamber, he commits an institutional coup d’état and can no longer be Prime Minister of Senegal. It is a constitutional requirement and there is a lack of respect for the institutions,” he stressed.
He also criticised the inaction of the deputies in the National Assembly: “The National Assembly lacks action and leadership. The deputies must act collectively. The internal regulations are a law and those who seek to modify them must present a bill. The legislative initiative rests with the deputies.”
Thierno Bocoum recalled that former Prime Minister Amadou Ba had presented his DPG in accordance with the internal regulations, and that this should also be the case for Ousmane Sonko: “There is no problem, it is up to the deputies to resolve this issue because it falls within their competence,” he concluded.
