To the appeal of comrade Serigne Mbaye Thiam, I would like to respond yes; a sincere and lucid yes, in the spirit of the imperatives of harmony, mutual respect, and solidarity, recalled above; a yes in four points
1. Yes for a heritage to honor and a future to build Heir to old political formations from the pre-independence period, the Socialist Party has spanned the ages, experienced ups and downs, in power and in opposition , and contributed to shaping the identity and destiny of our dear Senegal: a nation strong in its unity while respecting its diversities, and a stable country, sheltered from upheavals which create the basis for incompatible destabilization with the work of economic and social development. This legacy from the elders is not an easy task. It was patiently built by political effort, intelligence and resilience.
This legacy honors us. We should be proud of it. At the same time, it places on us the responsibility of assuming it in all, in its strengths and its limits. This is why it requires us to act together to maintain our achievements and correct our shortcomings. We can no longer live on nostalgia for the glories of yesterday which are more the merit of our elders than our action. Our merit, what will make us proud and our success, is to make our contribution to the building of the Socialist House so that the PS regains its historic place in the Senegalese political landscape.
2. Yes to a bold renewal Today, more than ever, our party must make its aggiornamento, reinvent itself and revitalize itself to meet the expectations of a Senegal undergoing profound changes; a Senegal where the political field, considerably expanded and certainly more complex, has become more demanding.
In my opinion, bold renewal involves:
➢ An organizational overhaul: The PS must become a modern, agile party that listens to the concerns of all Senegalese people, breaking with the sclerotic and outdated practices of business as usual.
➢ A new political vision: The Senegalese, particularly young people, aspire to a policy that speaks to them, that resembles them and gives them hope. Starting from our long and beautiful tradition as a party from the start, we can and must offer them a more daring social project, anchored in their realities and providing concrete responses to their expectations.
3. Yes for a consensual, intergenerational and inclusive dynamic The future we want will necessarily be built with youth and women, the spearhead of basic structures and driving forces of victorious dynamics. Their place within our party must be expanded and strengthened without compromising the respect due to elders. Together, young people and seniors can shape a stronger PS, in a spirit of solidarity and complementarity.
-I want to emphasize two points: Senegalese youth, connected, educated and engaged, is one of the keys that will open the doors to the rebirth of the PS. We must trust them, listen to them more and offer them frameworks for exchange, reflection and action. Women, for their part, embody the resilience and strength that have always sustained our society. Fully mobilizing them is a sine qua non condition for our success. In short, young people and women must be for us the driving forces who catalyze victorious dynamics.
4. Yes, finally, to a more attractive and more inspiring party For the PS to regain its former influence and project itself resolutely into the future, it must transform itself, revive itself and inspire again. This requires more modern communication, more accessible structures, more sustained grassroots activity, innovative ideas and more substantial training of young people, including by calling on external resources.
In an open and competitive democracy, it is not enough simply to have the ambition for power, we must also and above all give ourselves the intellectual means to conquer it, exercise it and maintain it. This is the best way to make our party more attractive and ensure that every Senegalese recognizes themselves in our social project and finds in it a source of hope for themselves and for the country.
Ultimately, the Call for the reconstruction of the PS is a moment of truth. Together, we have the power to turn this moment into a tremendous opportunity. It is a historic opportunity to give the PS back the place it deserves and to respond to the challenges of our time. I adhere to it and I commit to contributing to it, with humility and determination. Together, hand in hand, let us build on the legacy of the elders a Socialist Party proud of its past, aware of the challenges of the present, and resolutely turned towards the future!
Alioune Ndoye Former minister,
National Secretary for Continuing Training and Political Education,
Mayor of Dakar-Plateau
