The president of the National Assembly, Ousmane Sonko, addressed legal concerns raised by the creation of six parliamentary inquiry commissions during the opening session of the extraordinary legislative year on August 10. The initiatives, which include probes into highly sensitive matters, drew immediate scrutiny over their compliance with existing laws.

Legal framework outlined by Sonko

In his address to lawmakers, Sonko emphasized the legal boundaries governing such parliamentary actions. « The law clearly states that the National Assembly cannot establish a commission to investigate cases already under judicial review, » he stated. He further confirmed having personally verified this requirement with the Minister of Justice to ensure full legal adherence. « Upon my inquiry to the Justice Ministry last week, the response confirmed that out of the five contested cases, only one—pertaining to land management near the former Dakar airport—remains under judicial consideration, » Sonko added.

Session agenda and legislative priorities

The extraordinary session, capped at 15 days by organic law No. 2025-11 of August 18, 2025, includes 11 key legislative items: two proposed laws, three draft laws, and six requests for parliamentary inquiry commissions. Among the most scrutinized topics are:

• Land management around the former Dakar airport
• The « One Student, One Computer » program
• Revenue abandonment and tax exemptions
• Conditions for issuing fishing licenses

These initiatives reflect the assembly’s focus on transparency and accountability in governance, with particular attention to past administrative practices.