Thirty-one lawmakers voted yes against 23 that voted no – a Bill that would have required 42 votes to allow for a national referendum.
The draft constitution caters for a two-term limit for presidency in contrast to the 1997 Constitution which requires no term limit. In the draft constitution, a candidate must win 51% of the total votes cast to be declared a president in contrast to the 1997 Constitution where a presidential candidate wins by simple majority.
Priority to the voting, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and international mission in The Gambia comprising the E.U. Delegation, U.S. Embassy, The British High Commission and German Embassy urged the National Assembly of The Gambia to vote for the Draft Bill in the interest of Gambians.
“The draft constitution is the result of extensive consultations with Gambians across the country and in the diaspora, with significant investment of resources, intellectual discussion and debate by Gambians from all walks of life,” the Foreign Mission in The Gambia states.
With quite some potential media freedom in the draft constitution, the Gambia Press Union (GPU) has had also cautioned against rejecting the Draft Constitution.
However, some National Assembly members turned a deaf ear to all these submissions and decided otherwise.
Having spent a great deal of money – D116 million to draft a new constitution for generations, the hopes and aspirations of ordinary Gambian voices, talents and energy have now dissipated into thin air. This situation leaves Jammeh and the APRC room to jubilate.
For the sake of posterity and historical purposes, we would like to include the names of the (NAMs) National Assembly Members who voted No to the Draft Constitution:
"Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it."
Mark Twain
Mr. President, the West African region is in serious trouble with some leaders wanting to overstay and manipulate the electoral process to win elections which is causing a lot of their people to lose precious lives. This is not fair to our democracy and rule of law.
Mr. President, with the advent of the 2nd and possible 3rd wave of COVID-19 and its accompanying strain that poses great health hazard to the public, the government has now taken limited steps to avoid the spread of this monstrous pandemic.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has sounded the alarm with the release of its recent annual rainfall forecast, predicting a surge in malaria cases as high temperatures, high relative humidity (above 60%) rainfall and thick vegetation cover provides fertile grounds for the survival of the vectors and development of the parasites.
The expansion of trade among sub-Saharan African nations holds the key to faster growth and development to the benefit of all its citizens. To unlock this potential, countries will have to focus more on trade facilitation, including the simplification and modernisation of trade procedures.
