By Our Reporter
WORLD
Ousmane Sonko has been overwhelmingly elected President of National Assembly of Senegal with 132 votes out of 133, strengthening his political influence and setting up a direct institutional rivalry with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Before the start of the vote, Senegalese opposition lawmakers decided to boycott the election for the Speaker of the National Assembly. Out of the 165 members of parliament, 133 took part in the vote.
Sonko, leader of the PASTEF party, secured the position after lawmakers convened in a plenary session on Tuesday morning, 26th May, 2026 to reinstate him as a Member of Parliament and elect a new Speaker of the National Assembly.
His predecessor, El Malick Ndiaye, a close ally of Sonko, resigned from the role on Sunday, paving way for Sonko’s election.
President Faye had reportedly moved swiftly to the Constitutional Court in an attempt to block Sonko’s return to the helm of the National Assembly.
This is expected to further complicate reform efforts by President Faye, who dismissed Sonko as prime minister on Friday, 22nd May, 2026 following months of growing tensions between the two leaders.
Under Senegalese law, President Faye cannot dissolve parliament until November, two years after the last parliamentary elections.
