Barely started, the 14th legislature already beats the record of insults. In one day’s work, the National Assembly suffered the consequences of political cohabitation. Looting and fights will no longer move Senegal at this rate. Story of a very eventful day!

By Malick GAYE and Justin GOMIS – « Radical break, gravity, commitment! » By declaring, last Sunday, his candidacy for the Chair, Barthélemy Dias used with subtlety the lexical field of the word combat. A premonitory fact, in view of what happened yesterday in the National Assembly. It was necessary to fight with the presidential movement as if to send a signal less than 15 months before the Presidential election of 2024. And it wasn’t just a matter of figure of speech. Opposition and power have used practices once devolved to the behemoths of the arena. It took the intervention of the parliamentarians to separate Abass Fall and a lady from the presidential movement. The two exchanged insults, before coming to the hands.

The installation of the Executive, which was scheduled to take place at 10 a.m., finally began 3 hours later. Administrative formalities were the main cause of this delay. While the Benno bokk yaakaar parliamentary group had submitted its lists, Yewwi askan wi waited until the last minute to declare its candidacy for The Chair.

Behind the scenes, it is reported, it was necessary to make Ahmed Aïdara hear reason. The parliamentarian mayor of Guédiawaye maintained his candidacy against the decision of the Yaw Conference of Leaders.
After these imperfections, the presiding officer, Aïda Sow Diawara, proceeded to start the works opening with the traditional nominative call. This was at 14H 30 mn. It was Barthélemy Dias who opened the hostilities. The envelopes containing the ballot papers, barely distributed, the deputy mayor of Dakar grabbed and threw the box containing them. This is the beginning of a general incomprehension.

Barth’, who argued that some MPs are illiterate, proposed the use of coloured ballots. An act badly perceived by the presidential movement, which responds with insults. The situation escalated to the point that Abass Fall felt the need to raise his hand on a lady. This incident closed, the opposition stood on its position.

This time, it was the presence of the ministers, Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo and Abdoulaye Sow, which is considered illegal. For the opposition, the Constitution prohibits this combination of functions and, therefore, they had 8 days, from the proclamation of the results, to resign from a position. A position that Me Oumar Youm, the president of the parliamentary group, assimilates to a misinterpretation of the law. For him, the Member’s assumption of office begins on the day of the installation of the Bureau and not that of the proclamation of the results. Despite the desire to solve the problem, Oumar Youm faces an opposition that, obviously, wants to establish a balance of forces. « Suffer in silence, » Wallu MP Mame Diarra Fam said mockingly.

The opposition, unable to make Aïda Sow Diawara flinch, decided to block the proceedings of the institution by gathering near the president of the session. Insults and bags of water were thrown, this was the spectacle offered by the parliamentarians at the beginning of the mandate. It flew so low that the fights no longer shocked. Noting the impasse, the presiding officer decided to suspend the sitting with these words: « I am suspending our work to give the group chairmen time to try to find a solution. If after an hour you do not agree, I will secure the vote and proceed to install the President of the Assembly. »
Significant damage was noted. The debris was even sometimes used as weapons to fight. And as if to send a message, Barth’, subdued, said: « Ahmed, we must let them do it. It will be like this every day. »

On her return, she summoned the Forces of Order to dislodge Barth’, Abass Fall, Guy Marius Sagna, Ahmed Aïdara and company. The show is similar to that of unauthorized demonstrations. The gendarmes, forming a semi-circle from The Chair, advance and persuade the opponents to return to their places. The furniture of the Hemicycle will not come out intact.

The vote took place and proceedings of the vote of the other members of the Bureau continued in the evening. And naturally, the members of the Yewwi-Wallu Inter-Coalition did not vote and saw the loss of the presidency of the Assembly. Which will be more of a boxing ring than a place of debate!
mgaye@lequotidien.sn – justin@lequotidien.sn