Senegal parliament elects oustedparliament elects ousted PM Sonko as speaker
Senegal's parliament elected ousted prime minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker in Dakar on Tuesday after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye named a new premier and removed him from government.
The moves deepen a power struggle inside Senegal's ruling camp and could affect how the country tackles its debt crisis and runs the legislature.
Senegalese Government Camp
Supporters of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye present the cabinet changes as a way to restore discipline and economic competence. They say the new prime minister has the experience needed to help steer Senegal through debt pressures.
Sonko and Pastef Allies
Allies of Ousmane Sonko see his election as speaker as a political comeback and a way to keep influence over the legislature. They view the showdown with Faye as a test of who controls the ruling coalition and its reform agenda.
- Senegal is one of West Africa's more stable democracies and has often seen power changes through elections rather than force.
- Dakar, the capital, sits at Africa's westernmost point and has long been a key Atlantic port.
- Sonko's political rise has helped make youth unemployment and governance reform central themes in Senegalese politics.
