Tensions institutionnelles : « La Constitution sert de rempart », rappelle le Dr Mor Fall
Invited to the program "Point de vue" on RTS, Dr. Mor Fall, lecturer at the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences (FSJP) of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), provided a thorough analysis of the recent political friction between the government and Parliament. From the sensitive issue of the Petroleum Code to the rules governing special funds, the academic warned of the risk of this political standoff shifting to the legal arena, potentially establishing the Constitutional Council as the supreme arbiter. "Any political confrontation can have legal repercussions," he cautioned, describing an inexorable phenomenon of the "judicialization of the conflict."
Special funds: reconciling the need for transparency and state secrecy
Addressing the issue of public finances and the proposed revision of the organic law relating to finance laws, the constitutional expert emphasizes a fundamental technical distinction: that between program appropriations and simple allocations. While the former are linked to operational objectives and precise performance indicators, allocations concern specific institutional funds that are unsuitable for such evaluation criteria.
Regarding mechanisms for controlling secret funds, Dr. Mor Fall urges legislators to exercise restraint. Referring to Article 118 of the decree establishing the general regulations on public accounting, he believes that a traditional parliamentary audit conducted solely by the Finance Committee would be inadequate. Drawing on French case law, he advocates for the establishment of a tailored oversight body composed of members of parliament and judges from the Court of Auditors bound by national security secrecy: "This allows for the preservation of secrecy while ensuring accounting traceability and effective control."
Oil laws and constitutional levers of the Executive
When questioned about the parliamentary majority's desire to exercise binding oversight of oil and gas contracts, the legal expert pointed out that the executive branch has strategic safeguards in place to protect its regulatory authority. If the amendment process fails during debates, the government retains the option of using a single vote or initiating a direct referral to the Constitutional Council. According to him, the upcoming plenary sessions will be a crucial barometer for gauging the extent of inter-institutional disagreements.
From the "time of concord" to the "time of discord"
Analyzing the historical dynamics of relations between the government and the National Assembly, Dr. Mor Fall distinguishes two distinct political phases. The first, known as the "time of concord," is characterized by a political symbiosis where the constitutional text recedes in favor of partisan consensus. The second, described as the "time of discord," arises in cases of mistrust and open confrontation.
“It is at this precise moment that the Constitution serves as a bulwark,” the academic explains. He points out that the fundamental law was specifically designed to channel democratic crises and prevent institutional gridlock.
Regarding the rumors of the dissolution of the National Assembly by the President of the Republic, the researcher offers a more nuanced perspective: this is a discretionary constitutional prerogative, not an inevitable consequence. "It is a constitutional power that exists and could be invoked, but no one can predict the final decisions," he concludes, reaffirming that the vitality of Senegalese democracy rests on the strict respect for the prerogatives of each branch of government.
Commentaires (5)
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