Guest of the General Headquarters Elh Oumar Youm addressed several hot topics in national political news, from justice reform to the possible dissolution of the National Assembly, including the candidacy of Macky Sall for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations.
On the question of justice, the former minister pleads for a clear disconnection between justice and the political instrument. According to him, reforms are necessary to strengthen the independence of the judicial institution.
However, he recalls that, in the current architecture of the Senegalese judicial system, the Minister of Justice has authority over the prosecution, particularly over administrative and technical aspects.
“I agree that the Minister of Justice commands the prosecution on administrative matters and technical aspects. But we must move towards reforms to guarantee more independence,” he explained.
Questioned on the debate around a possible dissolution of the National Assembly, Oumar Youm insisted on the centrality of presidential power in Senegalese institutions.
For him, the real force in our institutional system remains the President of the Republic, by virtue of the powers conferred on him by the Constitution.
“We do not confront a President of the Republic to show him that we have popular strength,” he declared, believing that political confrontation with the Head of State on this ground could be risky.
According to him, the Constitution gives the president very broad decision-making power, even if, he recognizes, the latter can sometimes be guided by political considerations or feelings.
But it is above all on the international scene that the former minister made a strong appeal. Evoking the prospect of seeing Macky Sall run for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations, Oumar Youm believes that Senegal must mobilize behind the former head of state.
“Macky Sall has all the assets to be elected secretary general of the UN,” he says.
Knowing the former president, he adds, “when Macky Sall starts something, it’s because he already knows where he’s going. »
For Oumar Youm, Senegal therefore has a moral and political obligation to support the candidacy of its former president on the international scene.
“To do the opposite would be a historic failure for our country,” he warned, calling on President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to support this possible candidacy.
According to him, a head of state must know how to place himself above political fray when it comes to defending the interests and prestige of Senegal on the international scene.
A position which will not fail to fuel the political debate in a context where internal rivalries continue to mark Senegalese public life.
