Minister abdourahmane diouf renews criticism of ousmane sonko over special credits bill
Tensions au sommet : Le ministre Abdourahmane Diouf s’en prend de nouveau à Ousmane Sonko
Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf asserts that Ousmane Sonko’s recent visits to religious communities directly contradict the actual content of the legislation presented to Parliament. “What he is proposing in the National Assembly bears no resemblance to what he conveyed to our religious leaders,” he firmly stated, highlighting what he perceives as a “profound moral issue.”
The ongoing dispute over the reform of special credits has reached a new critical point. Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, who serves as the Minister of Petroleum and Deputy General Supervisor for the KIIRAAY / Les Patriotes Républicains coalition, has strongly denounced the National Assembly’s proposed bill concerning these funds. He explicitly accuses the parliamentary majority and its leader, Ousmane Sonko, of employing “double standards” when addressing religious communities.
According to Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf, Ousmane Sonko’s recent visits to religious centers directly contradict the actual provisions within the legislative text brought before Parliament. “What he is advocating for in the National Assembly is completely different from what he communicated to our spiritual guides,” Diouf emphasized, pointing to what he described as a “deep moral failing.” The minister highlighted Article 2 of the parliamentary proposal, which restricts special credits “exclusively” to defense, security, and intelligence operations. Furthermore, he cited Article 5, which expressly forbids expenditures of a social nature. Diouf condemned this wording as “anti-social and anti-religious credits,” arguing that it effectively closes the door to any form of support for vulnerable populations.
In stark contrast, Diouf commended the Executive’s proposed amendments. These revisions, he noted, reintroduce provisions for “the preservation of social order” and uphold “humanitarian values, mutual assistance, and solidarity.” His conclusion was unequivocal: “Where the Assembly excludes, the Executive includes.” Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf also criticized Ousmane Sonko for having reportedly used political funds without restraint during his tenure as Prime Minister. He challenged Sonko to fully acknowledge the implications of his own legislative text: “Own your discriminatory stance against our religious institutions in the allocation of political funds! It is about the Republic! Nothing but the Republic!”
Abdourahmane Diouf