The image sparked a torrent of reactions: Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Ousmane Sonko and Macky Sall gathered at the Palace of the Republic. Thursday March 28, the future president of Senegal, accompanied by his mentor, met the outgoing head of state for a highly publicized "working meeting". A preamble to the transfer of power which will take place Tuesday April 2, the date of the end of Macky Sall's mandate.

This meeting is symbolic in more than one way. It firstly sends a message of appeasement after three years of fierce confrontation between the presidential camp and the representatives of Pastef (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity), dissolved by the authorities in last July. Also and above all, the presence of Ousmane Sonko, opposition leader prevented from running for president, reminds us, if it were still necessary, that the victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye is not that of a single man.

“Ousmane Sonko does not intend to govern in place of the future president but he is obviously not going to stay behind, because we must maintain popular enthusiasm around our project,” says a close advisor to Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

“Diomaye, it’s Ousmane”

Appointed in November 2023 by the Sonko camp as presidential candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye is then much less known than his mentor. To launch the campaign and obtain the necessary sponsorships, the “Diomaye Faye coalition” is banking everything on the image of the charismatic opposition leader. “To sponsor Diomaye is to sponsor Sonko”, we can then read on the poster presenting the faces of the two allies. A message that became a watchword during the campaign, through the slogan "Diomaye mooy Ousmane" ("Diomaye, it's Ousmane") chanted tirelessly by their supporters.

Sponsoring Diomaye is Sponsoring Sonko 💯 pic.twitter.com/6I4mP4J5it

— CBA 🇸🇳 (@Cheikh_B_) November 21, 2023

The day after the presidential election, while the trends announce him largely in the lead, Bassirou Diomaye Faye does not forget the man who made his election possible. “I want to reserve a special mention for a man. I think I don’t need to mention him, it’s President Ousmane Sonko,” he declares to the screams of his supporters, in reference to his position within Pastef.

Ousmane Sonko Prime Minister?

Since the victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, speculation has been rife as to the place that Ousmane Sonko will occupy within power. Because the former chief tax inspector and current mayor of Ziguinchor is still considered by his supporters as the leader of Pastef, despite the dissolution of the party.

Prominent among the reforms in the program is the overhaul of the presidency, which provides for a reduction in the power of the head of state by replacing the post of prime minister with a vice-presidency. But this change, which could make it possible to install the duo at the head of the country, must go through constitutional reform and is therefore not immediately applicable.

In the meantime, Ousmane Sonko could be appointed Prime Minister of Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who will form, once invested, a new government. A nevertheless risky option for Ousmane Sonko according to certain observers.

"The Prime Minister is sitting in an ejection seat and it is not said that for the next five years, it will be the honeymoon", analyzes Francis Kpatindé, lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, recalling that, despite the good understanding between the two comrades in struggle and friends, there is "only one presidential chair".

Read alsoBassirou Diomaye Faye, close to Sonko, on the verge of becoming the youngest president of Senegal

Legislative elections in sight

Others would see Ousmane Sonko as president of the National Assembly. “In the event of early legislative elections, he could be elected and thus become the second personality of the State,” underlines Gilles Yabi, Senegalese political scientist and founder of the Wathi think tank.

With a large victory against the government candidate Amadou Ba, Bassirou Diomaye Faye must nevertheless deal with a National Assembly dominated by the rival coalition, Benno Bokk Yakaar, support of Amadou Ba. But the Constitution allows the president to dissolve the Assembly at the expiration of a period of two years following its installation, i.e. in five months. Which would lead to early legislative elections.

“We cannot govern and implement our reforms with a hostile majority. It is therefore obvious that we will dissolve the Assembly when possible, in September,” confides Bassirou advisor Diomaye Faye.

“This electoral deadline is essential and we of course need the support of Ousmane Sonko in this campaign which will open soon,” he underlines. This support is all the more important since Bassirou's mentor Diomaye Faye could keep control of the political apparatus.

“We find it abnormal that a president is head of state and head of his party at the same time, like Macky Sall. Ousmane Sonko will not have to choose. He can therefore remain president of our party if he wishes,” notes the advisor.

Read alsoSenegal: how to explain the victory of Bassirou Diomaye Faye in the first round?

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