Key Facts

• El Malick Ndiaye resigned as speaker of Senegal's parliament citing a sense of duty and reflection.
• President Bassirou Diomaye Faye recently fired Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government.
• Sonko, leader of the Pastef party, was elected as a legislator in 2024 but had resigned to serve as prime minister.
• There are plans to bring Sonko back to parliament and vote him as the new speaker, supported by his party's majority.
• Sonko’s return could reduce President Faye’s influence over the parliament and government policy.
• The president must present a new prime minister candidate for parliamentary approval within three months.
• Senegal’s constitution prevents dissolving parliament until two years after elections, so early dissolution before November is invalid.
• Sonko was barred from running in 2024’s presidential election due to a past defamation conviction.