Asset declaration: Amadou Bâ confronts President Diomaye Faye with his responsibilities

Amadou Bâ, the MP who authored bill no. 33/2026 amending article 37 of the Constitution, defended before the National Assembly a text aimed at strengthening the obligations of declaration and publication of the assets of the highest authorities of the State.

For the Pastef parliamentarian, the aim is not to "force" the President of the Republic, but to bring the Constitution into line with Senegalese legislation on asset declarations and the country's international commitments. "This is a proposed law, not to compel anyone, but to align the Constitution with the law on asset declarations," explained Amadou Bâ.

According to him, the law already requires those subject to it, particularly those holding political power and managing public funds, to declare their assets upon entering and leaving office. However, the President of the Republic, according to the MP's analysis, remains outside the scope of ordinary law.

A "legal vacuum" to be filled

Amadou Bâ believes there is a gap in the constitutional framework regarding the procedures for the President's asset declaration. "The law states that you can declare your assets upon taking office, but the Constitution doesn't tell us how. It doesn't tell us what you must declare. It doesn't tell us how to verify what you declare," he emphasized. The proposal therefore stipulates that the President of the Republic must file an asset declaration within three months of assuming office, and then a final declaration within three months of leaving office. The text also provides the Constitutional Council with the means to verify the content, completeness, and accuracy of the declaration, as well as to ensure its publication. These provisions are central to the bill submitted by Amadou Bâ.

Amadou Bâ accepts the expansion to include the Prime Minister and the President of the Assembly

Initially focused on the Head of State, the reform was broadened in committee to include the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister, following an amendment presented by the government. Amadou Bâ stated that the majority party's members of parliament accepted this amendment without hesitation. "The President of the Republic presented an amendment asking us either to agree to include the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Assembly, or to reject the entire text. Without hesitation, the Pastef party members decided to accept this amendment from the President," he declared. This broadening was indeed accepted by the parliamentary majority in committee.

"The text should not wait for a possible referendum."

For Amadou Bâ, the main issue now lies in the promulgation of the text after its adoption. The MP thus warns against any attempt to postpone the reform's entry into force pending a possible broader constitutional revision or a referendum. "The minister must not come here and tell us that the MPs voted for an amendment from the President of the Republic, but that the latter does not intend to promulgate it immediately, that he will wait months and months before submitting it to a referendum," he declared. For him, the Head of State must fully embrace a reform that he himself helped to shape. "A President cannot propose a text and refuse to promulgate it," insists Amadou Bâ. The MP goes so far as to describe a potential failure to promulgate it as a "serious future mistake" and an "unacceptable moral failing."

Transparency extended to all those subject to the law

Beyond the three main state authorities, Amadou Bâ advocates for broader transparency in asset declarations. "We are going to pass a law to make asset declarations public for all those subject to them," he announced. He also argues for retroactive application to allow citizens to access existing declarations and compare them with the declared standard of living and income of the officials concerned. "Senegalese citizens should be able to see all those subject to the declaration, their asset declarations, and compare them with their standard of living and income levels," he insisted. For Amadou Bâ, the issue therefore goes beyond the person of the President of the Republic. It is about strengthening transparency, integrity, and citizens' trust in institutions. "That is what is at stake today," concluded the author of the proposed law. "It is simply a matter of the President of the Republic, represented by the Minister of Justice, telling us that this text which the President proposed, which the deputies accepted, will be promulgated and will not wait for a possible referendum which, more and more, is moving further and further away from our political horizon," he said.