"Who is taking care of Senegal?": The APR spokesperson criticizes the government's inaction in the face of the country's emergencies

Alioune Badara Coulibaly, spokesperson for the Alliance for the Republic (APR), condemns the crisis at the top of the State and openly criticizes the governance of the Diomaye-Sonko tandem.

“This is their time for controversy. This is the time of the current regime, shattered today into two factions locked in a bitter standoff. This is the time of the Sonko bloc on one side and Diomaye on the other,” asserts Mr. Coulibaly. He questions the purpose of these internal squabbles: “What does the people gain now from these political maneuvers and schemes? They, at least, are aware of the current challenges. They are for work, not for the unbearable noise emanating from the empty barrels that pass for government and parliament.”

At this stage of his criticism, the spokesperson is making a clear case for the return of former president Macky Sall to the national political scene.

“This valiant Senegalese people have seen the difference between those who served them and those who have been stirring up controversy for the past three years. They miss Macky Sall and fervently wish for the return of the former head of state. This is no longer a secret. In the media, in homes, in public places, and everywhere, the demand is the same: that Macky Sall return, now that he is no longer in the running for the UN,” asserts Alioune Badara Coulibaly.

For the head of the APR, the struggles of political spaces take precedence over economic and social emergencies, like the strong tensions surrounding the amending finance law (LFR) in the National Assembly.

According to him: “Our country doesn’t need a government that spends its time explaining itself. It needs a government that builds. It also needs a framework where a blocked supplementary budget law doesn’t turn the National Assembly into a theater of vehement verbal jousting. While at the same time, the government is engaging in more communication than action. This has been the daily reality since the arrival of the new authorities.”

The spokesperson bitterly observes that the promises of a break with the past have resulted, in his words, in constant conflict. “They promised a break with the past, but we got fighting. They promised lower prices, but we got higher taxes. They promised a better life for the people, but we're resorting to settling scores. In short, Senegal, our beautiful and peaceful country, is being demolished by opportunists. Instead of governance, they are offering us destruction. They are dismantling and dismantling the gains achieved since independence. No sector is spared. Businesses, due to politically motivated tax audits, are almost all on their knees,” he laments.

A targeted attack against Ousmane Sonko and economic policy

The old regime thus accuses the current power of having weakened the purchasing power of households, increased the tax burden and compromised the future of youth through "a permanent circus orchestrated by these apprentice statesmen".

In this critique, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko is singled out for special attention, accused of prioritizing constant grandstanding: “In truth, this government lives in a state of perpetual turmoil, seeking to occupy every position through grandstanding. It has made this its trademark. Ousmane Sonko, for his part, is an atypical case. He almost always acts with little regard for the public interest. He makes numerous sweeping announcements, indicating the adoption of reforms or the passing of new laws, all tailor-made to satisfy particular interests.”

A forceful exit that further inflames the already incandescent political debate surrounding budgetary decisions and the direction of the country.