On September 1st, the head of government is scheduled to present his General Policy Statement before the deputies. This comes shortly after the Constitutional Council deemed their proposed bill, aimed at regulating special funds, inadmissible. The question now looms: will he walk into a political trap and face a vote of no confidence? This seems improbable, considering the limited political advantage such a move would offer. The coming weeks and months are poised for a series of strategic maneuvers from all sides. In this intricate political landscape, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko appears to hold a strong position, keenly observed by the Senegalese populace.

Government’s pyrrhic victory

The dynamic interplay between the executive and legislative branches, overseen by the Constitutional Council, continues with renewed vigor. The latest development is Decision No. 7/C/2026 from the ‘Seven Sages’ (Constitutional Council members), which declared the proposed law on special credits inadmissible. This ruling was widely anticipated, as the grounds for its rejection had been publicly articulated by various knowledgeable figures, including the Prime Minister, who argued it infringed upon the executive’s domain of regulation.

Essentially, the Constitutional Council’s decision aligned with these arguments. However, beyond the legal technicalities, which are likely to be debated further, the most significant gains will be made in the ongoing political struggle. On this particular battleground, Ousmane Sonko appears to maintain a strategic advantage, under the watchful eyes of the citizens.

The camp of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has secured another victory: the Constitutional Council’s Decision No. 7/C/2026 has rejected the bill initiated by Guy Marius Sagna concerning the framework for special funds. Yet, this is a Pyrrhic victory, as the political fallout from this rejection was immediately capitalized upon by the Pastef party. In a public statement, Pastef denounced what it called a betrayal of its commitments to…