In a sharp public statement, the leader of the Patriotes party has drawn a direct parallel between President Macky Sall’s recent executive decisions and the urgent need to set a date for upcoming local elections. Ousmane Sonko argued that if the president can issue decrees to remove officials like Waly Diouf Bodiang from the Dakar Port Authority or Fadilou Keïta from the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, the same authority must be used to formally announce the election timeline.

Speaking to a large crowd in Tivaouane, the heart of the Ndiambour region, Sonko reiterated his strong stance against any postponement of the local polls. His remarks come amid growing pressure on the presidency to act swiftly. Electoral analyst Djibril Gningue has warned that the president has only a narrow window left to sign the necessary decree before the legal framework for holding the elections becomes unworkable.

Sonko’s public call for action underscores the deepening institutional friction between the executive and legislative branches. Notably, no decree has yet been issued to convene the electorate, leaving the electoral calendar in legal limbo and raising concerns about the country’s democratic process.