Senegal's National Assembly has adopted a law tightening sanctions against absent parliamentarians, passing it with 127 votes in favour, three against, and two abstentions on 8 May 2026. Under the new legislation, deputies who accumulate ten unjustified absences from plenary sessions will automatically lose their mandate, with graduated penalties — including formal warnings and financial sanctions — applying from the fourth unexplained absence. Opposition deputies criticised the move as populist and politically motivated, arguing that absenteeism has not disrupted the assembly's functioning and that more pressing issues, such as the country's debt levels, deserve legislative attention.