Ousmane Sonko dismisses any "crisis" and defends the constitutional reform.

In an interview given yesterday to Al Jazeera English, the president of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, discussed the distribution of powers, the ongoing reforms and the political situation in the country, which he described as "stable and normal".

Regarding questions about the country's effective leadership, he stated: "No, no, I don't think the country's leadership is in question. In a well-organized country with functioning institutions, the question isn't who governs or who makes the decisions. Each institution exercises the powers conferred upon it by the Constitution and fully assumes responsibility for its own area of competence." He explained that, operationally, the President of the Republic defines national policy and ensures its implementation through the government. The National Assembly oversees the application of these policies and evaluates them. Legally, the Head of State issues decrees, while the National Assembly passes laws. The distribution of responsibilities is perfectly clear. "There is no room for confusion. The confusion that some are trying to create is entirely artificial," he said.

"I want to reassure everyone and continue to encourage our partners to trust Senegal and invest there."

Regarding the law aimed at amending the constitutional framework, adopted by parliament but rejected by the government, which called for a referendum, Ousmane Sonko dismissed any notion of a crisis: “No, absolutely not. We mustn't use the term 'crisis,' because there isn't one and there won't be one. What I see is a small political group in Senegal that has lost almost all its political momentum, supported by a small fraction of what we call civil society. I also see certain international media outlets seemingly determined to present the situation as a crisis. In reality, what is happening is perfectly normal.” He added that it is true this situation is unprecedented in Senegal and perhaps even rare in Africa. “Some are therefore trying to present it as a crisis. However, it is not a crisis. The country is functioning normally. I want to reassure everyone and continue to encourage our partners to trust Senegal and invest in it.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera, the Speaker of the National Assembly maintained: “The Constitution grants both members of parliament and the President of the Republic the right to initiate legislative reforms. The members of parliament have exercised this right. There is nothing unusual about this. A draft amendment was proposed, adopted by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, and submitted to the President. I would like to emphasize that almost all of the provisions contained in this text are perfectly in line with President Diomaye Faye’s electoral program.”

"If these reforms were put to a referendum today, I am convinced that an overwhelming majority of Senegalese would vote in favor of them."

Before continuing, he added: “What I want to emphasize is that this isn’t simply a matter of law or constitutional reform; it’s a matter of democracy. We are in a region marked by numerous coups d’état and by questions about how democracy is practiced for the people, whether in Senegal or elsewhere in Africa. Yet, while this reform aims to reduce the President’s powers, perhaps in favor of the National Assembly or to strengthen checks and balances, the Head of State, who had initially supported this program, is now refusing to validate this constitutional reform.”

In closing, Ousmane Sonko suggested: “As the facts clearly show, the Senegalese people want these reforms. We haven't seen any mass demonstrations by the Senegalese population to oppose them. And if these reforms were submitted to a referendum today, I am convinced that an overwhelming majority of Senegalese would vote in favor of them.”