Asset declaration: Alioune Badara Coulibaly denounces a "diversion"

The spokesperson for the Alliance for the Republic (APR), Alioune Badara Coulibaly, is calling for the debate on asset declarations to be refocused on issues of governance, ethics, and transparency. In a statement sent to Seneweb and titled "Asset Declaration: The Real Debate!", he declares that the issue should not be reduced to the volume or origin of the declared assets. According to him, the essential objective of this requirement is to strengthen good governance and combat the misappropriation of public resources.

"A debate on asset declaration is not necessarily incongruous in a democratic state. What is problematic, however, is the malicious way in which some frame the discussion. This debate, however useful it may be, nonetheless presents pitfalls, since some engage in it while willfully forgetting the essential meaning of the practice. The volume and origin of assets may not be entirely without interest. We can certainly discuss them, without making them the main focus of the debate, by obscuring the meaning and significance of such a declaration," he said.

Alioune Badara Coulibaly also criticizes Ousmane Sonko's recent remarks on the management of public funds. He denounces what he calls an "instrument for extorting state assets and resources" and calls on the relevant institutions to fully investigate the accusations of embezzlement and mismanagement.

“The Senegalese constitution envisioned and organized asset declarations with the aim and spirit of better governance in mind. Unfortunately, the current system, after listening to Ousmane Sonko on Walf Fadjri radio on Sunday, appears to us to be an instrument for extorting state assets and resources. Everything has clearly been orchestrated in this context, like a methodical machine of plunder, set in motion. Watching the President of the National Assembly shift the blame onto his former colleagues and former prime ministers, accusing the administration and other public services, one couldn't help but believe this was a reckless, anti-progressive undertaking, an instrument for creating disorder rather than order. And what about the sequence of events surrounding his request for an extension?” "Here, the embezzlement is even admitted by the author of the diatribes against the Minister of Finance Cheikh Diba (3 billion FCFA not found) and Mimi Touré (pointed out for unjust enrichment of more than 2 billion FCFA)," he denounces.

The APR official finally accuses the former Prime Minister of trying to divert attention through his media appearances, which he describes as a "diversion" and "boasting." He argues for the rigorous application of procedures to make transparency and ethics the cornerstones of public governance.

“Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister’s pronouncements, swearing on his heart that he doesn’t want to destabilize the government and the institutions of the Republic, are nothing but a diversion. His recent media appearances and social media posts are nothing but boasting. They lack substance! In reality, Sonko is bluffing. He is, however, aware that his off-the-cuff remarks might momentarily unsettle some vulnerable people. Nothing more,” he declared.