President Adama Barrow has blamed the United Democratic Party (UDP) for the failure of previous efforts to pass a new constitution, saying opposition lawmakers voted against the draft bill in the National Assembly.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with QTV Gambia, President Barrow said his administration initiated the constitutional reform process but faced challenges securing the parliamentary support required to pass the proposed legislation.

He recalled that an earlier attempt to introduce a new constitution failed at the National Assembly stage, prompting his party to seek a stronger parliamentary mandate in the 2021 elections.

According to Barrow, although the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) secured a simple majority after the election, its parliamentary numbers were insufficient to meet the threshold required to pass the constitutional draft.

He said the government could not secure the more than 40 votes needed, despite having approximately 35 supporting votes, and attributed the failure to opposition lawmakers, particularly members of the UDP, who voted against the bill.

Barrow questioned why his administration continued to face criticism over the stalled reforms when the legislation required support from lawmakers across the political divide.

He also acknowledged the independence of the National Assembly, noting that lawmakers make their own decisions when voting on legislation. He said the passage of a new constitution therefore required broader parliamentary support.

Looking ahead to the next election, Barrow said he could not guarantee the passage of a new constitution without his party securing the required majority in the legislature.

He said that, if given the necessary parliamentary numbers, his party would prepare a new constitutional draft and present it to the National Assembly. He added that he would campaign for the proposed document, while the legislative process would determine whether it could proceed.

The 1997 Constitution remains in force, following the failure of the 2020 draft constitution to secure the required support at the National Assembly. The debate over constitutional reform continues to centre on the process for adopting a new constitution and the role of lawmakers in securing the necessary majority.