On Saturday, the National Assembly decided to postpone the budgetary orientation debate at the close of the single ordinary session for 2023-2024. This decision follows the Prime Minister’s allegedly unpleasant and disrespectful remarks about the institution and its MPs. For the Chairman of the Yewwi Parliamentary Group, this will not prevent the government from continuing its work.

The MPs and the Senegalese people will not yet be entitled to a budgetary orientation debate, which would enable the Finance Minister to present a 2025-2027 multi-year economic and budgetary programming document, which will serve as a reference for the preparation of the Finance Law. The National Assembly, a majority of which is made up of members of the Benno bokk yaakaar Coalition, requested and obtained a postponement of the Budget Orientation Debate from the Bureau of the Assembly, on the pretext that the Prime Minister had made discourteous remarks to the Assembly, which the majority members equated with a lack of consideration for the institution. An attitude that the president of the Yewwi askan wi parliamentary group describes as a red herring. « I’d call it a storm in a teapot and a sword in the water from a majority that is running away, a majority in disarray, a majority in disarray », Ayib Daffé told the press.

According to him, the parliamentary majority of the Benno Bokk Yaakaar Coalition, which is now in opposition, « has cooked up a pitiful scenario, with the complicity of the President of the National Assembly ».

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According to him, since last week, MPs were convened to a plenary session. A bureau meeting was held. « Following this bureau meeting, the Conference of Presidents was held to decide to hold the Budget Orientation Debate and close the session today. Yesterday, around midnight, we received a summons asking us to appear at 9 a.m. for a meeting of the Bureau of the National Assembly. Like Republicans, we showed up at 9am. The only item on the agenda was information.  We went to the meeting room and waited until 10 a.m. before the President came to start the meeting, without apologizing, after an hour’s delay. He suggested that we cancel or postpone the budget debate, claiming that ‘there offensive or discourteous remarks were  made against the institution that is the National Assembly' », explained the chairman of the Yewwi askan wi parliamentary group.

In response to this act by the Speaker, Yewwi MPs told him that « it was not courteous to call a meeting at midnight for 9 a.m. with no agenda, and then turn up at 10 a.m. without apologizing ».

According to Ayib Daffé, « this shows a lack of rigor, seriousness and respect for the MPs, the parliamentary institution and the members of the bureau ». The members of the Yewwi askan wi Coalition also reminded the President of the Assembly that « at the press conference of the Benno bokk yaakaar parliamentary group the previous day, the group’s president, Abdou Mbow, had ordered him to hold the bureau meeting, and he complied at midnight like a ‘puppet' ». Ayib Daffé also sees this as a lack of respect for other MPs. He continues: « We also pointed out to him that a debate has been raging since the National Assembly was set up, namely the falsification of the National Assembly’s Standing Orders by agents of the National Assembly, or at any rate by officials within the National Assembly. So far, despite letters of complaint and statements by parliamentary groups, no action has been taken, and the matter has not even been raised at a bureau meeting », he lamented.

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For him, when the Rules of Procedure are falsified, steps must be taken to correct this falsification, which he likens to fraud against the law. « Unfortunately, they refuse even to raise it at the executive meeting, and then ask to postpone the orientation debate », he says, showing that they were ready, following information from the Minister of Finance, to take the floor. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so. 

But Abdou Mbow disagrees. For him, this is a trap set for them by members of the Yewwi askan wi Coalition.

« The Conference of Presidents has been informed of the question of the Standing Orders.

We have asked the President of the National Assembly to contact the President of the Republic to resolve this problem. They want to trap us by bringing us here to engage in oratorical jousting or physical confrontations, as they are wont to do. It’s true that we’re opponents, but we’re republican opponents, who respect Senegal and the people who brought us here. We represent the National Assembly. We are MPs of the republic. We are neither Sonko’s MPs nor the MPs of the streets.

Responsibility would dictate that the Prime Minister, who is bound by article 55, should come and make his Dpg before the National Assembly, and that he should respect that », insisted Mr. Mbow, according to whom « the Assembly has been responsible in working today to avoid any physical confrontation between MPs, and in full sovereignty ». Addressing national and international opinion, he pointed out that « the National Assembly respects the Constitution, the Senegalese people, and the laws and regulations of this country ». According to him, « it’s because they don’t dare confrontation, because they don’t have a program ».  And if that’s the case, the PM must have the courage to tell the Representation that he doesn’t have a project. « And in that case, we can understand it, » he says. He goes on to say that « what prompted the suspension was the PM’s statement that he had no respect for the National Assembly ».

Ayib Daffé believes that this debate should not give rise to any adjustments or votes, and says that this will not prevent the government from continuing its work.

By Justin GOMIS 

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH