The High Authority for Party Regulation (HARP) of PASTEF-Les Patriotes officially initiated the process for electing the party president on May 14, 2026. According to decision n°001/2026/HARP, issued by the body, the submission period for candidacies is now open, running from May 15 until May 20, 2026, at noon.

a procedure addressing Diomaye’s critiques?

This decision does not grant any exclusive right to the outgoing president, Ousmane Sonko. Instead, it formally opens the competition to all factions within the party, allowing the current Prime Minister the opportunity to seek a renewed mandate, but without guaranteeing him automatic access to the organization’s helm.

This formal competitive process directly echoes the public statements made by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who had previously criticized the party for being too “personified”. By establishing an open and regulated procedure, HARP directly responds to this critique, while simultaneously raising questions about PASTEF’s leadership during a pivotal period for Sénégal.

When recently questioned about the party’s candidacy for the 2029 presidential election, Diomaye Faye had made any designation conditional on the conclusions of the upcoming congress. This indicated that the question of who would be the candidate was not yet settled internally. The holding of this internal party leadership election represents a crucial preliminary step before that broader debate can unfold.

five-day window for candidacy submissions

The timeline set by HARP is stringent: candidates have only five working days to compile and submit their applications. These must be based on a standard declaration form, a model of which is attached to the decision. HARP’s deliberation was adopted during a special session held on May 14, 2026.

The outcome of this internal ballot will determine who officially embodies PASTEF’s direction ahead of the next congress, where the critical question of the party’s 2029 presidential candidacy is expected to be decided.