Debate in National Assembly Heats up

As APRC, Opposition NAMs Argue over Constitutional Amendment

In what appears to be one of the best debates since the beginning of the 2007 legislative year, National Assembly Members from the ruling party and the opposition, notably UDP and NADD, last Thursday put up strong arguments for and against the proposed amendment of the 1997 constitution of the republic of the Gambia.

The 1997 constitution amendment bill 2007, which was moved by the Attorney-General and Secretary of State for Justice, Mr. Kebba Sanyang, seeks to amend section 194(c) of the constitution and thus give way for the direct election of the Mayors and Chairmen of local councils by Councilors from among themselves.

Seconding the motion, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority Leader of the National Assembly, expressed the need for the performance of local councils to be monitored by putting in place scrutinising and regulatory mechanisms to enable them deliver.

According to Hon. Jatta, although a section in the Local Government Act 2007 states that 50% of councils’ revenue should be spent on the provision of services the best part of councils’ money is in fact not going towards the provision of services.

“If we are to decentralise, especially money and power, we must ensure and be sure that councils’ capacity are built from where they are now, so that they are able to render services as expected of them to the people,” he opined.

Also contributing to the motion, Hon. Sidia Jatta, member for Wuli West, argued that the proposed amendment of section 194 of the constitution is designed to neutralise the capacity of electors to determine the type of person they want to elect as their chairperson.

“No body will convince me that denying the people the right to elect their chairperson is what is going to improve the reputation of the councils,” he asserted, adding that he is opposed to the amendment of section 194 because it does not serve the people for which they say it is going to serve.

According to Hon. Sidia Jatta, this is the second time that the National Assembly is attempting to derail the very fundamental purpose for which section 194 of the constitution has been formulated.

For his part, the Minority Leader and member for Kiang West, Hon. Lamin Sanneh, expressed his opposition to the bill, which he said will not serve this country well. “The constitution of The Gambia is the supreme law of the country and is very vital that amendments done to it be looked at very carefully,” Hon. Sanneh noted, adding that amendments should only be sought when they are necessary.