An opposition coalition in Senegal, Yewwi askan wi, insisted on putting the dots on the « i » about its concert of saucepans that it intends to organize this Saturday, December 31, at the time of the New Year’s speech in the Nation that will be pronounced by President Macky Sall.
While voices rose to criticize this concert, seen as a way of trampling on the principles of the Republic, leaders of the platform recalled, Wednesday, December 28 during a press briefing, that this speech is not provided for by the Constitution and affirm that the authorities in power are the first not to respect the Republic.
“Where is the Republic? (…) I have been looking for the Republic since the advent of Macky Sall, I cannot find it. Where was the Republic when we were plotting against Ousmane Sonko? Is this the Republic? Where was the Republic again, when we unfairly arrested deputies without lifting their parliamentary immunity? Where was the Republic when the President himself desacralized his word by promising the Senegalese people that he will reduce his term of office from 7 years to 5 years. Where was the Republic? Asked opponent Habib Sy.
“Let us be respected. We have no lessons to take from anyone. Do those who embezzle public funds know the Republic? Macky Sall, who tramples on the principles of the Republic and democracy, who protects a former minister prosecuted by the Crei, does he know the Republic? December 31 has nothing to do with the Republic”, for his part, launched the opponent Ousmane Sonko.
The latter indicated that on December 31 at 8:00 p.m., the whole world should « hear the sound of pans to know that the people are not happy with Macky Sall and his government ». « I ask all Senegalese of all ages to participate in this concert of saucepans to make as much noise as possible, because Macky Sall only knows this language, » he continued.
The platform calls for this demonstration to “demand the initiation of legal proceedings recommended by the Court of Auditors in its audit report on the management of the response and solidarity fund against the effects of Covid-19 (Force-Covid- 19).
Out of an envelope of 1,000 billion FCFA injected into the Economic and Social Resilience Program (Pres), there would be shortcomings amounting to 6,686,784,410 FCFA, or 0.7% of the total amount.
The government has already given some response to this report and says it has « respected its governance commitments relating to the expenditure of resources from the Force Covid-19 fund ».
But the opposition does not seem convinced. “A thousand billion have been put on the table (…) simply to fight against death, to save Senegalese. And during this time, these 1000 billion which were intended to fight against death, certain shameless and unscrupulous ministers used themselves like vulgar thugs”, indicated the opponent Cheick Tidiane Youm during the press briefing.
By OMA Newsletter N° 998 of 30/12/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
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