The Disciplinary Committee of Senegal’s ruling ‘Alliance pour la Republique’ (APR) have announced \’axing” from their ranks the second Vice-Speaker of the Senegalese National Assembly, Moustapha Cisse Lo, for insulting fellow party members.
By Oumar Dembele
In a voice recording which went viral on social media, salacious abusive remarks attributed to the former ECOWAS Parliamentary Speaker from 2016 to 2020 appears to be directed at fellow MP, Farba Ngom and the Managing Director of the state-run daily ‘Le Soleil’, Yakham Mbaye, all of them belonging to President Macky Sall’s APR party.
Moustapha Cisse Lo, 66, who did not dispute being the voice heard on the audio, announced his resignation on Sunday from his post as second Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly and from the leadership of the APR.
His roles as MP, activist and founding member of the presidential party are not affected by this turn of events.
However, acting on President Macky Sall’s instruction, a seven-member jury “unanimously” agreed to oust Cisse Lo.
It considers that their comrade’s words were “full of crudeness, which is inconsistent with morality and social decency” and “ultimately offended the conscience of the people.”
The disciplinary body also notes “the propensity of party members venting their spleen on the media by insulting or using slanderous words” which “seriously tarnish the image” of APR.
It warns others within the ranks of the APR against such untoward behaviors and making remarks likely to tarnish the image of the party or discredit the institution of the republic.
APR was set up on December 1, 2008 by Macky Sall, following his fall out with his predecessor and mentor Abdoulaye Wade, who was the Secretary General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS).
Sall had resigned from all PDS positions entrusted him and eventually defeated his mentor in presidential elections three years later.
ODL/cgd/fss/as/APA