Political upheaval: Opposition seeks to block Ousmane Sonko’s return to parliament
The leader of the Pastef movement, Ousmane Sonko, has sharply criticized a move by opposition lawmakers and independents to challenge his reinstatement as a deputy in the National Assembly. In a fiery statement, he branded the legal challenge a deliberate political plot designed to sideline him from the political arena.
Sonko dismissed the opposition’s constitutional referral as a manipulative tactic, arguing that the Council lacks the authority to rule on the matter. “Their maneuvers are clear—they are weaponizing state institutions against us,” he declared. “If they resort to such tactics, we will respond in kind, using every legal avenue provided by the Constitution to defend our rights.”
The controversy stems from a June 1, 2026 announcement by opposition figures and independents, who filed a petition with the Constitutional Council to overturn the Assembly’s May 24 decision reinstating Sonko as a deputy. The challengers claim his reinstatement violates constitutional provisions, specifically Article 54, which prohibits certain public officials from holding parliamentary mandates. They argue that Sonko, who served as Prime Minister before winning a seat in the 2024 elections, was ineligible from the moment he was elected.
The political standoff underscores growing tensions between Sonko’s party and its rivals, with both sides accusing the other of exploiting institutional mechanisms for partisan gain. As the legal battle intensifies, the outcome could reshape the balance of power in Mali’s parliament.