Pastef deputy Félicité Mbougane Sarr opposes constitutional amendment, defends President Faye

Elected on the Pastef list for the Mbour department, Mbougane Sarr has publicly defended the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and stated that she will not vote for the current version of the text. This position is not entirely unexpected, as she has previously demonstrated a close relationship with the head of state, notably during a tense exchange with fellow Deputy Cheikh Bara Ndiaye, whom she publicly reprimanded for remarks deemed disrespectful towards the President. Her current statement comes amid significant tensions surrounding the reform of Article 37, which seeks to extend the obligation of asset declaration and publication to the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister, in addition to the head of state.

The debate has already led to heated discussions in plenary sessions, including with opposition Deputy Abdou Mbow, who accused Pastef parliamentarians of initially attempting to lessen transparency obligations for the President of the Assembly.