By Diadie Ba
(Reuters) – Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Thursday dissolved the opposition-led national assembly, clearing the way for early legislative elections on Nov. 17.
In an evening address, Faye, who came to power in April, said working with the assembly had grown difficult after members refused to start discussions on the budget law and rejected efforts to dissolve wasteful state institutions.
“I dissolve the national assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means to bring about the systemic transformation that I have promised to deliver,” Faye said in his brief speech, in which he announced the date for voting.
Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of the parliament, the minimum time that must elapse before a new legislative election.
Thursday’s move followed earlier promises by firebrand Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to dissolve the national assembly and launch a wide-ranging probe into government corruption.
Faye defeated the ruling coalition candidate in a landslide victory in March, promising to crack down on corruption and introduce economic reforms that prioritize the national interest.
Senegal’s new government last month set up a commission to review all oil and gas contracts. Sonko has promised to rebalance them in the national interest, without providing details on how long the review will take.
Senegal became a new oil producer in June after Australia’s Woodside Energy announced that its Sangomar oil and gas field had produced its first oil.
Gas production is also due to begin by the end of the year at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas project, operated by BP.
(Reporting by Diadie Ba and Ngouda Dione; Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Bate Felix and Cynthia Osterman)
