By Amadou Jadama
Nominated National Assembly Member Foday Gassama has condemned “Operation 3 Years Jotna”, a group calling on President Barrow to step down by the end of this year.
Gassama, who was nominated by the president to replace Kumba Jaiteh, said the agitators’ demand is “unconstitutional and anyone caught will be charged with treason”.
In a Standard interview yesterday, he made his case: “I am completely opposed to those people advocating for a three-year transitional period calling on President Adama Barrow to step down. The idea is unconstitutional. I refer them to the Constitution which states clearly that any law or agreement which is in contravention of the 1997 Constitution is null and void. So why are they talking about Barrow stepping aside at the end of three years?
“The MoU they are talking about was not signed. They have never signed it. What they signed was the agreement for the political parties to come together and form a coalition against Jammeh. They also agreed that any person who happened to win the coalition should resign from his party and contest under an independent ticket and President Barrow did that.
“No MoU was signed regarding the three years. So if they are saying that President Barrow should fulfill his promise, what promise are they talking about that Barrow should fulfill? The Constitution supersedes the agreements they are talking about. It is the supreme law of the land and there is nothing above it. So the idea of three years is a non-starter.
“I want to make it abundantly clear that any person or group of persons who attempts to overthrow President Barrow’s government at the end of three years would be committing a treasonable offence, and anyone caught will be charged with treason. Gambians voted for five years and not three years. Any wise person would not even talk about this three years thing”.
Asked whether he is saying this because he owes his current position to President Barrow, Gassama retorted: “Not at all. It is simply because every citizen of this country, should defend the Constitution of The Gambia at all level and at all times.”
