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Senegal's parliament passes constitutional reform stripping presidential powers; Faye calls referendum

The Pastef-dominated National Assembly adopted amendments transferring authority over natural resources and parliamentary inquiry to the legislature, creating a Constitutional Court, and limiting the president's dissolution powers; Faye, who was sidelined by Sonko's parliamentary majority, immediately announced he would send the bill to a national referendum

Leaders·Courts· active Who Decides·The Quiet Shift ·7 takes · ·rbtfl upd Jul 1, 2026
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developments

  1. No referendum date set as of June 30; government committed only to 'organizing' a vote without a timeline. ConstitutionNet analysis notes the political complexity of Faye routing the text through the Constitutional Council before scheduling a campaign. ↗

The split

The same story, as told by newsrooms in different countries. Their words, attributed and linked.

France

France 24

“Senegal president Faye to call referendum on constitutional reform limiting his powers.”

pan-African French broadcaster; frames the vote as a constitutional power shift between two former allies now in open conflictread the original ↗

United States

ABC News (AP)

“Senegalese lawmakers pass divisive reform curbing presidential powers.”

AP wire filing; neutral factual account of vote and reactionread the original ↗

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Summary

Senegal's National Assembly passed a constitutional reform bill on June 29 that transfers significant powers from the presidency to parliament, backed by the Pastef party's commanding majority of roughly 130 of 165 seats. The reform requires the government to report to parliament on natural-resource exploitation agreements, expands the powers of parliamentary inquiry committees, limits presidential dissolution authority, and replaces the Constitutional Council with a nine-member Constitutional Court. The opposition boycotted the session, gendarmes forcibly removed one dissenting MP, and police fired tear gas on protesters gathered outside the building. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whose former ally and now rival Ousmane Sonko controls parliament as speaker, announced he would put the bill to a national referendum rather than sign it directly.

Why it matters

The vote formalises the break between Faye and Sonko, the two men who jointly swept Senegal's 2024 election on a reformist platform. Faye fired Sonko as prime minister in May; Sonko's election as NA speaker then turned parliament into an opposing power centre. A referendum turns the constitutional dispute into a direct vote between the two factions' supporters, raising the stakes for West Africa's most stable democracy.

What to watch

  • Whether Faye schedules the referendum and the timeline.
  • How the Constitutional Council rules if Faye challenges the reform's legality before promulgation.
  • Whether street protest grows ahead of any referendum campaign.

The briefing, by email