Senegal’s National Assembly adopted a package of constitutional amendments on Monday that significantly rebalances power away from the presidency, triggering chaotic scenes in the chamber and police intervention against demonstrators outside. The reforms, passed by an overwhelming majority, grant lawmakers expanded investigative powers, require the government to disclose natural resource agreements to parliament, and prohibit a sitting president from leading a political party. During the debate, security personnel forcibly removed opposition MP Abdou Mbow after he refused to leave the podium, having called majority lawmakers “fascists” during a heated exchange.

According to the ruling Pastef party, which holds 130 of the 165 seats, the amendments are designed to reinforce the separation of powers and strengthen democratic institutions. The party’s parliamentary bloc argued that the changes would enhance legislative oversight of the executive. However, opposition figures and civil society groups view the initiative as a political manoeuvre by parliamentary speaker Ousmane Sonko, who retains control of the Pastef majority despite being dismissed as prime minister by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in May. They contend the reforms are aimed at constraining the president’s room for manoeuvre ahead of the next electoral cycle, rather than serving institutional balance.

The vote has deepened a power struggle between the two former allies who swept to power in 2024 on a promise of sweeping change. Justice Minister Moussa Sarr announced the president’s intention to submit the amendments to a national referendum, but Speaker Sonko immediately challenged the president’s authority to do so, insisting the bill had been validly adopted by the legislature. The standoff leaves the final legal pathway for the reforms unclear, even as the government has yet to set a referendum date.

Viewed from Dakar, the parliamentary clash reflects a broader fragmentation of the political coalition that brought Faye and Sonko to office. Analysts in the region note that the constitutional prohibition on a sitting president leading a political party is widely seen as a direct challenge to Faye, who remains a Pastef member but holds no official party role. The provision could complicate any effort by the president to build an independent political base ahead of the next election. Meanwhile, the forced removal of MP Mbow and the use of tear gas against protesters outside the legislature have drawn sharp criticism from opposition groups, who describe the process as a settling of scores by the former prime minister.

The Senegalese developments coincide with a separate constitutional revision process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Senate adopted a bill in mid-June that would allow a referendum on a new constitution, potentially resetting presidential term limits. Congolese opposition parties and the Catholic Church have condemned the move as a “constitutional coup,” while Kinshasa’s diplomatic partners are monitoring the process for its impact on institutional legitimacy and regional stability. In Senegal, the immediate next step remains uncertain: the government has signalled a referendum, but the speaker’s challenge to that authority sets the stage for a legal and political confrontation over the final adoption of the reforms.