The Presidency answers your questions
Symbole

The Presidency answers your questions

Focus — Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Every month, we offer a look back at your questions and comments addressed to the Presidency of the Republic, on its Facebook and Twitter (@PR_Senegal) accounts. Here is our selection for January 2016.

Hi #Team221 could someone help me find the draft Constitutional Revision #Senegal ... @PR_Senegal @macky_sall
— Piero (@Moi_Piero) 18 January 2016

Constitutional Reform - This month, many of you asked for further details on the draft texts revising the Constitution, particularly as regards the duration of the Presidential term. The President of the Republic responded on 16 February 2016 in a message to the Nation. In compliance with the decision of the Constitutional Council, the current term of the President of the Republic will conclude in 2019. As announced, a referendum will be held on Sunday 20 March 2016 so that the Senegalese can voice their opinion on the draft revision to the Constitution, including the reduction in the term of office of the President of the Republic. The Constitutional Council's decision and the full text of the message addressed to the Nation by the President of the Republic can be found on our digital interfaces:

https://vimeo.com/155651528
http://www.gouv.sn/Message-a-la-nation-de-son,1982.html
http://www.presidence.sn/actualites/article-85
http://www.gouv.sn/IMG/pdf/Avis_Conseil_Constitutionnel.pdf

The caricatures affair - We also received many request to respond on the case of the caricatures published in Jeune Afrique. On that topic, the Senegalese Government has spoken out through the Government’s spokesperson Minister Seydou Guèye, who harshly condemned the drawings. That being said, the possibility of prohibiting the publication was not raised.

Burundi - Following the 26th African Union Summit, some Senegalese Internet users called upon the Presidency to strongly condemn the actions underway in Burundi. On this question, the Presidence expresses its solidarity with the position of the Commission of the African Union, which condemns the violence nad is looking for a peaceful way out of the crisis with the authorities in Bujumbura. It was against this backdrop that the President was appointed by the African Union as a member of the high-level delegation set to travel to Burundi.

Regional institutions - the creation of the United States of Francophone African Countries is most definitely a good idea! It should be recalled that President Macky Sall has been the sitting president of Francophonie since the Dakar Summit (2015). Until such time as a more in-depth exploration can be undertaken, the President of the Republic is working unflaggingly to strengthen the regional organisations in place, first and foremost, ECOWAS, to which he is President, WAEMU, OMVS and OMVG, each an important vehicle in giving Western Africa a voice on the international scene.

PES - On the topic of rail infrastructures, the Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PES) provides for the construction of a Dakar-Diamniadio-Aibd line, serving 14 stations and 115,000 passengers daily. The work on what will be Senegal's first high-speed rail connection will start in 2016. The rehabilitation of the Dakar-Kidira rail line, over a 644 km stretch, is also planned.

Ecology - The reform aimed at plastic bags, further to which mbouss will be prohibited, was greeted with positive comments overall, both in Sénégal and on the international scene. It is, as a matter of fact, a reform which other countries plan to adopt in the months to come, one of the first of which will be France.

Initiatives

We also regularly receive messages inviting us to pass on information about initiatives or share some of the often excellent projects developed by civil society. Here are two which we found of particular interest:

Encouragements

Lastly, we want to thank everyone for the messages of support received, in particular those calling attention to the efforts made to build participatory dialogue between the Presidency and the Senegalese people:

You are always welcome to interact with the Presidency via Twitter or Facebook, ask that we shed light on or give more in-depth information about measures underway or call attention to noteworthy initiatives in civil society. We will try, to the best of our ability, to respond or spread the information. Until next time, in March 2016, for another session of “The Presidency answers your questions”.