Senegal’s powerful opposition party Pastef led by former presidential candidate Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday rejected a revised version of the country’s budget, leaving the west African nation’s new bailout programme with the International Monetary Fund hanging in the balance.
National Assembly president Ousmane Sonko speaks following his election, Dakar, Senegal, May 26, 2026
Ousmane Sonko speaks following his election as the President of the National Assembly in Dakar, Senegal, on May 26, 2026
Senegal’s National Assembly, which is dominated by the opposition, rejected a key budget bill Tuesday, a text that was seen as crucial to restoring public finances as the country finalises an IMF bailout.
Senegal in September announced it had struck a $2.2-billion International Monetary Fund debt programme aimed at stabilising its public finances
But the IMF has yet to announce executive board approval and the bailout is subject to certain conditions.
The country’s powerful Pastef party, which holds an overwhelming majority in parliament, has long made clear its rejection of the 2026 revised budget, which came before parliament Tuesday
Following a morning debate, the session’s presiding lawmaker, El Malick Ndiaye, announced that “we consider the bill rejected”, with 109 lawmakers voting to reject it, 20 voting for it and three abstaining.
