By Tabora Bojang
Opposition United Democratic Party member for Serekunda West, Madi Ceesay, has expressed disappointment with campaigners and their backers calling for the Assembly to pass the 2024 draft constitution with amendment.
A number of billboards have sprung up around town with a statement encouraging NAMs to pass the draft even if it requires amending some part of it.
Madi said some civil society organisations notably Gambia Participates, supported by the UNDP is behind it.
“I want to express my disappointment with the UN for taking part in these calls. Why didn’t the UN make these calls when the 2020 draft constitution came? Why are they doing it now?” Ceesay asked on Kerr Fatou TV.
According to him, people advocating for such an arrangement have no idea about procedures of the National Assembly as amendments at the Committee stage only require a simple majority. “Currently, there is a mistrust between us and the NPP and if we go to that stage knowing they have more members than us, we cannot do any changes that is why we don’t want to reach that stage. So, I will not support any form of a compromise to pass the draft at second reading and then do amendment at Committee stage,” he stressed.
Ceesay explained that he will not support any constitution that will allow the president to nominate the speaker and the deputy speaker of the National Assembly to dictate or prevail over elected members.
“’The 1997 Constitution which Barrow campaigned to rewrite, provides for the president to nominate up to five National Assembly Members. However, the 2020 draft constitution which was rejected by the parliament in 2020 aims to change this by removing nominated members and only providing for elected members. But this change has been reversed in the 2024 draft constitution to empower the president to nominate 5 members including the speaker and the deputy speaker,” he argued.
