Senegal’s National Assembly on Tuesday elected ousted Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as its speaker in a vote boycotted by opposition lawmakers, following months of political tension that culminated in his dismissal from government.
Sonko’s emergence as speaker comes just four days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed him from his position as prime minister. Opposition members had earlier argued that his return to the National Assembly and subsequent leadership bid was illegal.
Despite the controversy, Sonko secured the position in a parliament dominated by his party, Pastef, which holds 130 of the 165 seats in the country’s unicameral legislature.
Sonko remains the influential leader of Pastef, maintaining significant political control within the ruling majority despite his recent removal from the executive arm of government.
The opposition’s boycott of the vote underscored ongoing political divisions in the West African nation, as debates continue over legality, procedure, and power balance within the country’s political system.
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