Debate over asset declarations: Senegal's controversial draft law

In Senegal, a significant draft law concerning asset declarations is set for debate in the National Assembly on August 18, 2025.

However, the proposal has come under fire from opposition parties, primarily due to a controversial provision that exempts the president from declaring his assets at the end of his term.

The political party Pastef has raised concerns that this exemption infringes on constitutional rights.

This new legislation broadens the scope of asset declarations, requiring public prosecutors, investigating judges, local authorities, auditors, and executives of public companies to disclose their assets.

Historically, the 2014 law was limited to senior officials such as the president of the Assembly, the prime minister, and other high-ranking officials managing over 1 billion CFA francs, which is roughly $1.5 million.

The current proposal, however, lowers that threshold to 500 million CFA francs, or about $760,000, for public budget managers.

Critics like Doudou Wade from the Senegalese Democratic Party argue that the legislation is insufficient, stressing that outgoing presidents should also be held accountable for declaring their assets.

Wade stated that the president has exempted himself from the declaration. Transparency demands that the wealth evolution of elected officials be made public.

In contrast, Amadou Ba, the vice-president of the Pastef parliamentary group, defends the bill and accuses the opposition of disingenuousness. He highlights that the Constitution only mandates asset declarations at the beginning of a president's term, asserting that the Constitution holds more weight than the new law.

As the debate looms, the conversation around transparency and accountability in Senegalese politics intensifies. We'll continue to follow this story closely. Stay tuned for updates."