Senegal's Faye plans to form his own political party

DAKAR, July 6 (Reuters) - ‌Senegal's President ​Bassirou ​Diomaye Faye is planning to set up his own political party, a coalition supporting him ‌said, the latest evidence of a durable split ⁠with his recently ousted prime minister.

• Faye has instructed senior ‌adviser Aminata Toure to ‌establish a task force charged with creating the party, said a statement from the pro-Faye coalition issued ​late on Friday.

• Faye has until now been a member of the ruling Pastef party, led ⁠by Ousmane Sonko, who was prime minister until Faye ousted him in ​May, capping months of tensions between the two leaders.

• Sonko has since become speaker of ​the National Assembly, where he ‌has been pushing for constitutional reforms that would, among other things, bar a sitting ⁠president from serving as leader of a political party.

• Lawmakers voted in favour of the changes last week, but ⁠Faye has decided to put them to a referendum. It ​is unclear when the referendum will take place.

• The political upheaval is unfolding as Senegal struggles to grapple with a crisis ‌stemming from the revelation of misreported debt under the previous government.

• Both Faye ‌and Sonko are preparing for local elections scheduled for ⁠2027 that will show ‌how much support ​each of them has across the country.

(Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, William ‌Maclean)

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