Senegal Parliament Elects Ousted Prime Minister as Speaker

Senegal's National Assembly elected Ousmane Sonko as its speaker on Tuesday, four days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed him as prime minister. The vote took place after the previous speaker resigned on Sunday. Sonko, the sole candidate, received 132 votes with one abstention and no votes against, according to Ismael Diallo, who presided over the session.

The election followed months of tension between the two former allies over how to address Senegal's public debt, which has reached 132 percent of GDP. Faye appointed senior economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as the new prime minister to lead talks with the IMF on a possible debt restructuring.

Sonko heads the Pastef party, which holds 130 of the assembly's 165 seats. His new role gives him authority over the legislative agenda at a time when the government seeks parliamentary support for its economic program.

" Aissata Tall Sall, who leads the main opposition, said Sonko should have resigned as prime minister and formally returned to his parliamentary seat before seeking the speakership. Pastef said Sonko had requested suspension of his mandate after his appointment as prime minister following the November 2024 legislative elections.

Senegal's dollar bonds fell sharply in recent days as investors assessed the political developments.