The Senegalese are still waiting for their Prime Minister

In Senegal, a month after the legislative elections, Macky Sall has still not appointed a Prime Minister. Why such a long wait?

Pape Diop, former President of the National Assembly and the Senate, has he definitively sealed the victory of the Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition in the legislative elections?

While the opposition to Macky Sall once claimed victory in the legislative elections, the official results gave the winning majority. But without an absolute majority.

"For the first time in the contemporary history of the country, no coalition has obtained an absolute majority in parliament", writes Catherine Lena Kelly, professor, who recalls that President Macky Sall's BBY coalition, which previously had a qualified legislative majority, saw its representation reduced from 125 to 82 seats out of 125.

Narrowly, the power obtains the absolute majority

From a relative majority to an absolute majority, BBY only lacked one seat. At the beginning of August, Pape Diop changed the situation by announcing that he had "made the decision to (join)" the presidential camp. He wants, he said, to avoid in Senegal "a blockage in the functioning of institutions".

The former Speaker of Parliament believes that, “given the presidentialist nature of our political system, a National Assembly placed under the control of the opposition will inevitably lead to an institutional crisis” carrying “all dangers”.

The opposition, which already saw itself taking the prime, will therefore have to wait. The presidential camp is working on the appointment of a Prime Minister. According to Senegalese sources, and in particular a journalist from the national daily Le Soleil, a name has already been put forward: that of Idrissa Seck.

A divisive or consensual Prime Minister?

Ex-Prime Minister, under Abdoulaye Wade, Seck would have already learned of his appointment. Currently president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), Idrissa Seck could have the heavy task of having to form a government.

However, this information has not been confirmed and, more than a month after the legislative elections, Senegal still does not have a Prime Minister. Macky Sall should soon announce the name of the prime minister's tenant. An important choice, but the President of the Republic prefers to take his time.

Especially since his will or not to be a candidate for the next presidential election will necessarily have an impact on the choice of the Prime Minister.

After having removed this function in May 2019 and having restored it last December, Macky Sall must decide between an experienced and partisan profile, which will take the blows for him until the presidential election, and a more neutral profile, which would satisfy both the majority than the opposition.