The modification of article 87 revising the Constitution, which has been the subject of heated controversy for a few days, is no longer on the agenda. President Macky Sall has decided to purely and simply withdraw the bill in question.

After announcing that he will not be a candidate for the presidential election of 2024, the Head of State, Macky Sall, continues to give good lessons to parliamentarians and politicians in Senegal and abroad. Listening to his people, he has indeed decided to withdraw the draft law amending article 87 of the Constitution, which he had submitted for examination to the National Assembly, yesterday during the opening of the first extraordinary session of the year 2023.

In this regard, Dr. Malick Diop, the 4th vice-president of the National Assembly, said after the suspension of the plenary session, that the parliamentary group Benno bokk yaakaar (Bby), which takes into account the aspirations of the Senegalese people, did not think it appropriate to include article 87. « The President of the Republic, who listened to his group, therefore decided to withdraw the article », declared the parliamentarian. As if to confirm his statements, the socialist MP, Abdoulaye Wilane, added that President Macky Sall listened to his parliamentarians and the rest of Senegal.

In his opinion, the Head of State thought it was more serene, more in line with the popular will to purely and simply withdraw the law amending the Constitution. “Macky Sall, by doing so, remains a humble citizen, and listening President. He remains a great gentleman because the issue of the dissolution and the arrests that have been made, and the political and media agitation on the unfounded intentions that were attributed to him, recommend that he remain above all suspicion, stated the delighted socialist MP of Kaffrine, and considers that the President has again given to parliamentarians and politicians a beautiful lesson of humility.

It should be noted that the parliamentarians of the 14th Legislature were convened in an extraordinary session to adopt the conclusions resulting from the national dialogue. Among these conclusions, the revision of the Electoral Code to allow Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade to be candidates for the next Presidential election, but also the revision of Article 87 of the Constitution which would allow the President of the Republic in office to dissolve the National Assembly at any time.

However, the plenary session was not finally held as planned. Opened at 11:05 a.m. by President Amadou Mame Diop, 158 members were present in the room. The quorum was reached, which allowed the President of the National Assembly to declare the extraordinary session open when opposition MPs raised their voices calling on respect for the rules. Amadou Mame Diop, who reported on the bills received, suspended the meeting to immediately convene the Conference of Presidents to study the bills tabled by the government in order to propose the schedule of work in the technical committee before deliberations in plenary.
In any case, this is the whole meaning that must be given to the opening of the first extraordinary session convened yesterday at the request of the Executive.

By Ousmane SOW

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH