Pastef majority faces repeated setbacks from Constitutional Council in Senegal

These include an interpretive amnesty law, internal parliamentary rules, media regulation, a major constitutional revision in June 2026, and a special appropriations bill declared inadmissible on August 25, 2026. Constitutional scholar Mamadou Fall notes a paradox where the majority, despite having strong political leverage, struggles with legal procedures and competencies. He points out that the Constitutional Council's rejections, such as for the special appropriations bill encroaching on regulatory domain or the constitutional revision violating procedure, highlight that Parliament cannot act without respecting legal frameworks.

Historian Babacar Justin Ndiaye compares this to past super-majorities under former Presidents Wade and Sall, which also saw the National Assembly act as a "rubber stamp" for executive-tailored texts. However, Ndiaye observes that with Pastef, there is an unprecedented situation where a reform-driven majority clashes with parliamentary technicalities and rigorous oversight from the Constitutional Council, sometimes even initiated by the executive within its own camp. Deputy Mayabé Mbaye of Pastef views these institutional clashes as a necessary part of transitioning and reforming old habits, asserting that the party is learning but will not back down.

Conversely, oppositio