Communication politique et séduction à travers la Déclaration de politique générale du Premier ministre Idrissa Seck à l'Assemblée nationale le 03 février 2003

CHAPTER 2 : CONTEXTUALISATION AND FRAMING

We could not approach the relationship between the political communication and the seduction, via the Declaration of general policy of the Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, without to clarify the context in which this one was done. Context whose interaction with the signs guarantees it « value » of « significance » (Klinkenberg 1996 : 311). Thus, we will give, in this study, a detailed attention with the institutional framework and the political context.

1. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

In democracy, we have two main categories of political régimes : the parliamentary system, which give more capacity to the rooms of the representatives of the people, and the presidential mode, which gives the primacy to the Head of the State and to his Government. But, some is the nature of the mode, the power plays of vary according to the reports/ratios of force between the various components of the Parliament. If there is coincidence between the majority at the Parliament and the holders of the executive power, the problems are less. On the other hand, if holding them of the Executive are minority, or relatively majority, this situation increases the stakes of being able and reinforces the conflict dimension of the Declaration of general policy.

In Senegal, we have a presidential mode. Within this framework, and contrary with the integral parliamentary system where the Prime Minister is the emanation of the Parliament, it is the Head of the State which determines the policy of the Nation and names the Chief of the Government charged to lead it^22(*).

Consequently, the aspect confrontation of the Declaration of General Policy seems, without being absent, weak seemingly, insofar as we have a presidential mode having a strong majority with the Parliament. What increases dimension representative and communication of the Declaration of General Policy.

Also, cannot one analyze the Declaration of general policy without studying the political context which induced it and to which it owes its raison d'être.

2. POLITICAL CONTEXT

The Declaration of General Policy, which is studied here under the angle of the relationship between the political communication and the seduction, is that of Mr Idrissa Seck, militant of the Senegalese Democratic Party to the capacity.

It was appointed Prime Minister in November 2002, following political and social events crucial which increase, in a considerable way, the stakes related to its face to face with the deputies.

The Senegalese Democratic Party arrived at the capacity at the time of the presidential elections of February and March 2000, with the favor of the first democratic Alternation in Senegal, on the basis of political coalition broad. Consequently, its exercise of the capacity is initially characterized by the division of this one with its allies. Thus the post of Prime Minister was initially entrusted to an ally, Moustapha Niasse, of the Alliance of the forces of progress (AFP), from April 2000 at March 2001.

In March 2001, the day before the legislative elections, a crashing to pieces rupture takes place between the two principal allies of the coalition to the capacity. This rupture involves the resignation of the Prime Minister Moustapha Niasse, like that of the ministers of its party and those of other parties belonging to its political mobility. To manage the Government, with less than two months of the legislative elections, a Prime Minister (of transition ?) is named. This Prime Minister had two principal characteristics : initially, it was the first time, in the political history sénégalaise, that a woman occupied this function. Then, in the context of a capacity in the conquest of which the policies played a decisive part, with a broad coalition gathering more than one ten parties, the outstanding fact in this nomination, is that the holder of the station is a technocrat without any political affiliation.

The Senegalese Democratic Party, leader of the Sopi coalition to the capacity, largely gains the legislative elections of April 2001, but guard always with the head of the Government the technocrat Mame Madior Boye. Its broad victory with the local elections of May 2002 completes the dynamics of conquest of all the decisional authorities. Consequently, the moment had come for a exercise more marked of the capacity, with the nomination, with the head of the Government, of a member of the party dominating. But occurred of social events will slow down this process : it is mainly about the shipwreck of the boat Joola.

The shipwreck of the Boat Joola will put the capacity in a delicate posture which goes hand in hand with difficulty with a disproportionate posting of its political hegemony. Consequently, the capacity will endeavor to adopt a tone and a step conciliators by inviting Senegalese to meet around essence. But this preoccupation with a consensus will be accompanied by a will to better face the popular discontent and with the attacks of an increasingly trustful opposition, while having a Prime Minister plus brawler, therefore political, essentially.

It is in this context that one assists with « migration » of Mr Idrissa Seck, previously Minister of State, Principal private secretary of the Head of the State, with « station » primatoriale, in November 2002. Its nomination devotes the final seizure of the liberals on all the authorities of decision of the country.

Overheated political context, with on the one hand, the crumbling of the Coalition to the capacity and reinforcement of the opposition ; in addition, the will of the liberals to assume, finally, without complex, their statute of uncontested political leader, in which Idrissa Seck will be called with the head of the Government, will confer on its Declaration of General Policy a very new dimension, which none of those of its predecessors had known. The more so as, for the first time since Alternation, a perfect coincidence takes place between the Chief of the Government and the majority with the French National Assembly.

All things which will give to the Declaration of General Policy of the new Prime Minister a very strong event-driven turning. This event-driven turning moreover will be supported by the marked taste of the Prime Minister for political marketing, on the one hand, and on the other hand, by the Senegalese media context marked by a diversity of the supports.

* ²² The Constitution, in its Title II devoted to the President of the Republic indicates clearly  : Article 42: The President of the Republic is the guard of the Constitution. He incarnates the national unit. He is guaranteeing regular operation of the institutions, national independence and integrity of the territory. He determines the policy of the Nation.

Article 49: The President of the Republic names the Prime Minister and puts an end to his functions. On the proposal of the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic names the ministers, fixes their attributions and puts an end to their functions.