Diasporan calls for representation in parliament

By Baba Sillah A political activist and member of Gambian diaspora has called on the government to consider their plight and give them a seat in the National Assembly. Speaking to The Standard Kebba Nyancho Sanneh based in Sweden, said he has been in exile for two decades and knows the difficulty they encounter, and in order to arrest that situation, he believes that there is a need for the new government to consider allocating a seat for the diaspora as is the case in Senegal. “From what I have seen about the condition of the diasporans over these past decades, I think we need to be accommodated in the government’s agenda especially given the role we play in the struggle,” he said. He revealed that even to renew or acquire Gambian passports could take time and huge resources because one may have to come back here to get it. “I would like to see them own a constituency despite the geographical distance as our thinking cannot be separated from the feeling and sentiment of Gambian people,” he observed. According to him, for democracy to be considered a full dispensation of the will of the people, no constituent should be left out. ”I have intention to contest elections but I also think that the residency criteria in the laws should also be revisited to allow people who come home to participate in elections,” he said. He added: “The diaspora can talk to the President who has the legal mandate to nominate people to represent certain interest groups based on his own choice”.]]>