The training was aimed at enhancing the capacities of lawmakers in their deliberations.
The training was funded by the United States Embassy in the Gambia through the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) mechanism.
At the closing ceremony, Erin McMenamin, programme manager at the International Republican Institute (IRI) Center for Global Impact, outlined the importance of the lawmakers, saying legislature should always prioritise the needs of the people that they represent.
She observed that during the session presentations were focused on different tools and types of oversight mechanisms that lawmakers can engage to ensure honest, open and effective governance practices of the executive and legislative branches to ensure that the government is working for the citizens.
She noted that they delved into numerous issues, but the major ones are how the legislative branch can assert its authority and ability to review the implementation of laws, such as public hearings, to show the citizens whether or not the government is working for them.
‘Legislatures have similar struggles in asserting their authority and carrying out their duties in a way that makes government accessible to the people. I am sure the National Assembly has a similar challenge that the US Congress faces in resources and ensuring that competing priorities are addressed in the right order and being responsive to what the citizens want their government to do for them. "
She expressed optimism that lawmakers would derive something useful from the information session to be able to utilize it in the implementation of their daily work.
The former Chief Staff Director at the US of Representatives, Jennifer Daulby, said the goal of the training is to spread and strengthen democracy in the country.
She expressed appreciation with the level of response shown by participants at the forum.
In her view, Jennifer Daulby observed that lawmakers are willing and interested to learn to better serve the country and to improve service to the Gambian people.
‘My role in the training is to share my experience and expertise so that members could take what might be useful to their country.’ she said.
Jimmy Sankaituah, International Republican Institute (IRI), resident Programme Director for the Gambia and Sierra Leone, recalled that IRI has been in the country since 2016 and that they've supported the process of the transition from Jammeh-era to the current democratic dispensation of the Gambia.
“Since that time, we remain committed to supporting the democratic consolidation in The Gambia. Part of what we are doing here over the last four days has been to continue to strengthen that effort that we initiated in 2016. ” he said.
