The FDR demands the annulment of his deputy mandate
The Front for the Defense of Democracy and the Republic (FDR) has formally contested the parliamentary presence of Ousmane Sonko, calling for the immediate annulment of his mandate as a deputy. In a public statement released yesterday, the coalition asserted that the provisions allowing his return to the National Assembly are in direct conflict with both the Constitution and the Electoral Code. The FDR also urged a broad mobilization to safeguard republican institutions.
The Front for the Defense of Democracy and the Republic (FDR) has intensified its opposition regarding Ousmane Sonko’s seat in the National Assembly. In a declaration issued yesterday, the coalition’s leadership conference argued that the President of the National Assembly is unlawfully occupying his parliamentary seat and demanded his removal. The FDR expressed satisfaction with the collective mobilization of political parties, citizen movements, and civil society actors who have condemned what it describes as a “parliamentary coup d’état attempt” by the Pastef party. The coalition highlighted a previous declaration, signed by 147 political parties and movements on May 24, which already denounced this contentious situation.
The FDR also commended the decision by opposition deputies to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council, challenging the legality of the process that enabled Ousmane Sonko to regain a seat in the National Assembly after departing from the government. At the core of the FDR’s challenge is its interpretation of the Electoral Code and constitutional provisions concerning the parliamentary mandate of government members. According to the coalition, Article LO172 of the Electoral Code stipulates that a minister elected as a deputy forfeits their parliamentary mandate if they do not resign from the government within an eight-day period. The FDR maintains that Ousmane Sonko cannot invoke provisions introduced into the National Assembly’s internal rules to reclaim a deputy’s seat.
The signatories of the declaration firmly believe that the amendment to the internal rules, enacted by the parliamentary majority, cannot supersede an organic law, which they assert is the sole legal instrument authorized to govern the conditions under which a government member may return to the National Assembly. For the FDR, this reform represents a clear violation of the Constitution, the Electoral Code, and even the Assembly’s own internal regulations. Consequently, the coalition calls for the annulment of the act that facilitated Ousmane Sonko’s installation in the National Assembly. It declares that he “cannot be a deputy” and demands that the relevant institutions address the legal ramifications of this situation.
Furthermore, the FDR dismisses the Pastef leader’s assertions linking the parliamentary opposition’s referral to the Constitutional Council with an alleged desire by the President of the Republic to remove him from the political arena. Emphasizing that the stakes transcend partisan divisions, the coalition affirms its commitment to “preserving democracy and the Republic.” It appeals to the nation’s vital forces to agree on a comprehensive action plan to prevent what it views as a blatant violation of the country’s laws and institutions.
This latest pronouncement from the FDR comes as the Constitutional Council prepares to rule on the disputed provisions. The high court’s decision is eagerly anticipated by both the majority and the opposition, amidst a period marked by intense tensions surrounding the interpretation of rules governing the relationship between the government and the National Assembly.