Senegal president Faye to call referendum on constitutional reform limiting his powers
Key takeaways
- Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will call a referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that would strengthen the power of parliament and the prime minister, the country's justice minister said Monday.
- By: FRANCE 24 Photo montage of Senegal’s National Assembly Speaker Ousmane Sonko, on the left, and President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on the right.
- 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.
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Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will call a referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that would strengthen the power of parliament and the prime minister, the country's justice minister said Monday. The country's National Assembly overwhelmingly backed the reform in a vote earlier in the day that saw roughly 50 opposition protesters attempt to storm the building.
By: FRANCE 24 Photo montage of Senegal’s National Assembly Speaker Ousmane Sonko, on the left, and President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on the right. © Abdel Majd Bziouat, AFP / Présidence de la République du Sénégal Senegal's National Assembly passed a bill revising the balance of power between the country's executive and parliament on Monday, prompting President Bassirou Diomaye Faye 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.