Title: Parliamentary return to Senegal: New challenges and political split
Introduction :
The return to parliament in Senegal, marked by the opening of the single ordinary session for the year 2023-2024, was the scene of political upheaval. Indeed, the Yewwi Askan Wi parliamentary group, an opposition coalition led by Ousmane Sonko’s Pastef, experienced a split with the departure of deputies from the Taxawu Senegal movement, led by the former mayor of Dakar Khalifa Sall. This defection led to changes within the National Assembly and reconfigured the country’s political dynamics. In this article, we offer you a new look at this situation and analyze the implications of this split for Senegalese politics.
The departure of deputies from Taxawu Senegal:
The Yewwi Askan Wi parliamentary group suffered a significant loss with the resignation of fourteen deputies from the Taxawu Senegal movement. This decision has direct consequences on the influence of the group, which thus loses four positions within the new office of the National Assembly. The deputies of Taxawu Senegal affirmed that it was the behavior of the deputies of Yewwi Askan Wi which pushed them to make this decision.
Yewwi Askan Wi’s response:
The president of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition, Cheikh Tidiane Youm, downplayed the impact of the defections, saying they would not affect either the parliamentary group or the coalition as a whole. According to him, the main thing is to be able to defend the interests of Senegalese citizens within the National Assembly, and not to obtain positions within the office. This reaction suggests that Yewwi Askan Wi is determined to continue his work despite this split.
The reasons for the split:
The split between Yewwi Askan Wi and Taxawu Senegal has its origins in the participation of Khalifa Sall in the national dialogue initiated by President Macky Sall. In August 2023, the leaders of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition decided to break their partnership with Taxawu Senegal, thus ending their political collaboration. This disagreement over the strategy to adopt vis-à-vis those in power ultimately led to this split.
Implications for Senegalese politics:
This political split is a significant element of the parliamentary start in Senegal. It caused a reshuffling of the political balances, both within the National Assembly and at the level of the broader political dynamic. The consequences of this split will be observed in the months to come, particularly in terms of parliamentary influence and political strategy of the different actors.
Conclusion :
The start of the parliamentary term in Senegal was marked by the split of the opposition parliamentary group Yewwi Askan Wi with the departure of deputies from Taxawu Senegal. This decision has important implications for Senegalese politics and reconfigures the forces present in the National Assembly. It will be interesting to follow the evolution of this situation in the coming months to understand its impact on the political dynamics of the country.