Senegal president names government, boycotted by rival

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Dakar: President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced a new 30-member government on Monday evening, cementing a dramatic political rupture with his former ally. The live television broadcast comes less than two weeks after Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the previous cabinet following months of escalating disputes over the troubled economy.

The newly formed administration will be led by senior economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as the Prime Minister. Faye appointed Lo to the premier position on Monday, highlighting his specialized economic expertise as crucial to steering the West African nation out of its current, crippling public debt crisis.

However, the restructuring faced immediate political resistance from Sonko, who remains the undisputed leader of the dominant Pastef party.

Following a long conversation with the president earlier on Monday, Sonko announced on social media that Pastef would completely boycott the new cabinet and would not be represented by any ministers.

This political deadlock significantly deepens Senegal's ongoing governing crisis. Because Sonko was recently elected speaker of parliament and his party firmly controls 130 of the 165 legislative seats, the formal executive boycott threatens severe legislative gridlock for President Faye's new administration.

Photo Credits:  AFP