Senegal’s parliament has elected former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker of the National Assembly, days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed him and dissolved the cabinet. Lawmakers reinstated him as a member of parliament before elevating him to the top legislative post. Sonko secured 132 votes in the 165-seat legislature, where his Pastef party holds a commanding majority, reaffirming his influence despite his removal from government. His election followed the resignation of outgoing speaker El Malick Ndiaye, a close ally. Opposition leader Aissata Tall Sall condemned the move as an “institutional coup,” arguing Sonko’s reinstatement to parliament was procedurally flawed. Faye has since appointed economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as the new prime minister to steer the country through its economic challenges.
Al Jazeera