The leader of the Agir movement questioned the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister on the ​​7 thousand square meters allocated on the West Corniche to the Azalaï hotel. Thierno Bocoum wants this question to be clarified, at a time when the head of government reported this Sunday on an alleged land scandal on the beach of Anse Bernard. 

Thierno Bocoum focused on the monopolization of the Maritime Public Domain (Dpm). During his press briefing yesterday, the president of the Agir movement expressed concern about the vast land that the Azalaï hotel establishment occupies on the Corniche-Ouest. Bocoum was, in fact, quick to question the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and his Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko. 

He declared: “The Azalaï hotel is in the Maritime Public Domain. This hotel was built on 7000 square meters! Let them tell us how this is possible?  When they got out of prison, they went to spend the night in this hotel. They made it their headquarters when they won the Presidential election. This is where the President of the Republic left to take his oath. We ask him (Bassirou Diomaye Faye) what he is going to do with this hotel? Those who know Dakar… I spent 28 years in Dakar. We know that behind the Terrou-Bi hotel, we went swimming at the beach. The populations bathed there, had access to it and had a view of the sea. No one had privatized this space. And we took 7,000 square meters to allocate to someone. And they (Diomaye and Sonko) endorsed this. Let him resolve this matter first, before devoting himself to something else,” Thierno Bocoum said, addressing PM Ousmane Sonko.

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Bocoum’s questioning comes following the descent of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko this Sunday on the beach of Anse Bernard. Here, Mr. Sonko denounced an alleged land scandal. Since he argued that it is “a domain allocated through a well-defined fragmentation. Some benefited from 5000 m², others from 3000 m², 2000 m², etc.. This is a serious situation for the Senegalese people,” said the head of government.$

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Thierno Bocoum, also mentioned the controversy relating to the PM’s General Policy Declaration (Dpg).  Mr. Bocoum did not spare PM Ousmane Sonko whose approach he criticized. “The Prime Minister has no injunctions to make, if he does not make his Dpg (General Policy Declaration), he must no longer be considered as head of government,” said Thierno Bocoum, thus inviting the PM “to respect the Constitution. Stressing that the Prime Minister is not bound by strict deadlines, Mr. Bocoum believes that he should not give MPs an ultimatum. “If the 90 days are exceeded, the Prime Minister is no longer bound by these deadlines. Threatening MPs is a serious mistake. According to article 64 of the Constitution, any imperative mandate is void. Ousmane Sonko must respect the separation of powers. If the MPs give in to the Prime Minister’s injunctions, they no longer represent the People. Sonko has no right to give ultimatums to parliamentarians. Their goal appears to be to dissolve Parliament and call legislative elections. MPs must not accept this,” assured the former parliamentarian.  “The General Policy Declaration is a matter for the MPs, they are all competent, but they lack an agreement,” pointed out the president of Agir.

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The Prime Minister is bound by obligation to present his Dpg before the National Assembly. “If he chooses to do it outside the Chamber, he is committing an institutional coup and can no longer be Prime Minister of Senegal. It is a constitutional requirement and there is a lack of respect for the institutions,” he stressed. Before “doubting the PM’s abilities”. Also criticizing the inaction of MPs in the National Assembly. “The National Assembly lacks action and leadership. MPs must act collectively. The Rules of Procedure are a law and those seeking to change them must submit a bill.  The legislative initiative lies with the MPs,” asserted Thierno Bocoum, who recalled that former Prime Minister Amadou Ba presented his Dpg in accordance with the Internal Regulations, and that this should also be the case for Ousmane Sonko. “There is no problem, it is up to the MPs to resolve this question, because it falls within their competence,” he pointed out.

“We have the position of encouraging the authorities towards rupture… But, we were surprised by the behavior of Ousmane Sonko who attacks everyone… Ousmane Sonko does not respect the institutions… He does not respect the Senegalese… He does not does not have the capabilities of a Prime Minister…” reacted Thierno Bocoum. These declarations come in a context of political tensions in Senegal against the backdrop of a General Political Declaration (Dpg) that the PM only intends to make before the National Assembly if the institution manages to update its internal regulations, otherwise it will keep it before a popular assembly.  An exit from the PM following that of the deputies of Yewwi askan wi (Yaw) maintaining that the Prime Minister’s General Policy Declaration (Dpg) is not an obligation, since « the National Assembly removed the Prime Minister as well as the Dpg of its internal regulations. While indicating that the provisions of articles 97, 98 and 99, and chapters 22, 23 and 24 must first be restored.  Arguments defeated by the deputies of Benno bokk yaakaar (Bby), judging them “fallacious and indefensible”, by defending the idea according to which the constitutional provision is imposed on the Prime Minister and in the absence of an express deadline. The National Assembly decided, last Saturday, to postpone the budgetary orientation debate by closing the single ordinary session for the year 2023-2024, following the release of the PM on its general policy declaration.

By Amadou MBODJI / ambodji@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH