Senegal's parliament speaker El Malick Ndiaye has announced his resignation, two days after his close ally Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was fired, deepening the political crisis in the West African nation.

The move clears the way for Sonko, whose Pastef party holds a strong majority in the National Assembly, to run for the post of head of parliament. This could further complicate reform efforts by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who dismissed Sonko on Friday after months of tensions.

Ndiaye said on Facebook that his decision was "a personal choice, guided above all by my notion of institutions, public responsibility and the greater interest of the nation."

Faye owed his presidency largely to Sonko, who would likely have won the top job had he not been barred from running due to a defamation conviction. Both are former tax inspectors who were jailed ahead of the 2024 election, later released 10 days before the rescheduled vote, which Faye won with 54%.

The Pastef party won the 2024 elections on a promise of profound political change, vowing to fight corruption and address a debt-laden economy. However, discord between the president and prime minister had been growing for months, making their alliance increasingly uncertain.

Faye's dismissal of Sonko risks worsening uncertainty in a country grappling with a debt crisis and ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF froze a $1.8 billion lending program after discovering hidden debt from the previous government, pushing end-2024 debt to 132% of GDP.

Finance Minister Cheikh Diba told parliament the government expects to resume IMF talks in the second week of June, aiming for an agreement by June 30. Pastef's dominance in parliament could complicate governance and the passage of reforms needed for IMF support.

Source: www.aljazeera.com