Senegal MPs back constitutional reform reducing president's power

Senegal's National Assembly passed a bill revising the balance of power between the country's executive and parliament on Monday, prompting the president to announce a national referendum on the matter.

The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in a tense atmosphere marked by heated exchanges, an opposition boycott and scuffles outside the building during which police used tear gas, AFP journalists saw.

The Pastef party, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's rival and former prime minister Ousmane Sonko, proposed the measure.

Faye fired Sonko as prime minister in May and Sonko was swiftly named speaker of the National Assembly, which is controlled by Pastef.

The constitutional amendment faces criticism from the opposition and various civil society organisations.

Justice Minister Moussa Sarr told parliament ahead of the bill's adoption that "the president has decided to inform the speaker of the National Assembly that he has decided... to put the adopted text to a referendum".

'Rebalancing of powers'

The text strengthens the powers of the Assembly and the prime minister while effectively curtailing those of the president.

According to Pastef, which holds 130 of the Assembly's 165 seats, the reform aims for a "better rebalancing of powers" among the executive, legislative and judicial branches in Senegal, a country with a presidential system.

Presidential coalition leader Aminata Toure said Sunday during a press briefing that "parliament is being used to weaken the president. (The proposals) appear aimed at limiting the influence of the president of the republic by increasing the powers of the head of the National Assembly".

Earlier in the day, the debate had opened with tensions openly on display.

An opposition MP, who had proposed postponing the vote and refused to leave the podium after his motion was rejected, was ultimately forcibly removed from the chamber by gendarmes.

Following the incident, all opposition MPs walked out of the hall in protest, with the exception of one.

Meanwhile around 50 protesters, mostly from the Alliance for the Republic (APR), the party of former president Macky Sall, gathered outside the National Assembly.

They attempted to storm the building but were repelled by security forces using tear gas, AFP journalists saw. Stones were also thrown at the police, who made several arrests.

Weakened president

Last week the government expressed disagreement with several aspects of the reform, arguing that it was being pursued without consultation with political stakeholders.

Under the revision, the president "will no longer be able to lead a political party or a coalition of parties".

The reform also bars the president from signing certain official acts during the period between a presidential election and the inauguration of the president-elect.

And according to the text, the drafting of the government program, which is currently the president's prerogative, will henceforth be carried out by the president "in consultation with the prime minister", who will also have authority to "make civil service appointments."