Senegal Lawmakers Elect Ousted PM Sonko As New Parliament Speaker

Senegal’s parliament has elected former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker of the National Assembly, just days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed him in a dramatic political split between the two longtime allies.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to reinstate Sonko as a member of parliament and then elected him speaker with 132 votes in favor. No lawmakers voted against him, and only one abstained.

The move follows a rapidly escalating power struggle inside Senegal’s ruling PASTEF party. President Faye had sacked Sonko as prime minister and dissolved the government last week after months of tensions over economic policy, debt restructuring, and negotiations with the IMF.

Sonko’s election as speaker gives him a powerful institutional platform and could complicate governance for President Faye, despite both men belonging to the same ruling movement. Analysts say the development raises the possibility of political deadlock as Senegal faces:

• a worsening debt crisis,
• suspended IMF support,
• and growing economic pressure.

The resignation of former parliamentary speaker El Malick Ndiaye — a Sonko ally — cleared the way for Sonko’s return to parliament and rapid elevation to the post.

Sonko remains one of Senegal’s most influential political figures and the leader of PASTEF, which controls 130 of the 165 seats in the National Assembly after its landslide parliamentary victory.

Observers say the situation could reshape Senegal’s political future ahead of the 2029 presidential election, where Sonko is now increasingly seen as a possible contender after recent electoral reforms.