Ousmane Sonko has officially been elected President of Senegal’s National Assembly, just days after being removed as Prime Minister by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
The parliamentary vote, held in Dakar on Tuesday, reportedly ended in a landslide victory, with Sonko securing 132 votes against just 1 opposition vote.
The dramatic comeback comes after President Faye dissolved the government on May 22 amid growing tensions over economic policy and debt negotiations. Former Speaker El Malick Ndiaye resigned on Sunday, paving the way for Sonko’s return to parliament and eventual emergence as Speaker.
Sonko, leader of the ruling PASTEF party, now becomes the second most powerful figure in Senegal’s political hierarchy and next in the constitutional line of succession after President Faye.
