By Omar Bah
President Adama Barrow has expressed his hope that the National Assembly will send the 2024 Draft Constitution to a referendum. This follows a tumultuous constitutional drafting process that began in 2018 but faced setbacks, including the rejection of a previous draft in 2020 due to concerns over presidential term limits. The revised draft aims to address these issues and is currently set to undergo parliamentary approval before the referendum can take place.
“The revised Draft Constitution has been submitted to the National Assembly, and we hope that it will be presented to the people for a referendum,” Mr Barrow said in his new year address to the nation.
He said political divisions along ethnicity and party affiliation must not be encouraged in The Gambia.
“Our common identity as Gambians, social values, religious beliefs, and cultural heritage are socially supportive enough to unify us. We must beware that the only threat to our unity, development, and progress is politics. It must not divide us. Let us define politics from a positive perspective, as a means of bonding and working together for the welfare of the nation,” he noted.
The Gambian leader said there are procedures in every stage of the country’s political development and that his government will comply with all constitutional requirements.
He added: “I must equally emphasise that neither the government nor any section of the Gambian community can impose their will on the nation. As such, let us all be law-abiding and democratic citizens.”
“As we usher in 2025, we can all rejoice with gratitude for the successes registered in 2024. Since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, our economic, social, and general welfare has fared much better during these twelve months than before. Remarkably, this is so, in spite of the ongoing global economic crises and the battle against price hikes and shortages of essential commodities,” he said.
Barrow said the government’s policies and programmes are certainly paying dividends and, looking into the future, there are huge prospects ahead.
“Our road network is developing at a rapid pace, and it is re-defining travel, business, and social life in communities across all regions of the country. Our institutional reforms are progressing very well, with various Commissions in full operation,” he added.
Barrow said the Gambia’s international ratings continue to rise by the year.
“Our profile has changed remarkably, and our credibility has grown worldwide. As evidence of this, currently, The Gambia holds key positions at both the African Union and the United Nations. In addition, according to the 2024 Global Expression Report of Article 19, The Gambia is ranked third as Africa’s leading defender of freedom of expression.”
He urged the UN and world leaders to boldly condemn unrest and external aggression, such as the type waged by Israel against the Palestinians and other nations.
