By Musa Bah
Amidst the Katzenjammer about whether or not you will resign after the three-year transitional period of your government or that you will serve the full five-year constitutional term, the issue of the Vice Presidency seems to have been conveniently forgotten.
Mr President, the appointment of a vice president is not a non issue. It is of utmost importance considering the role of the vice president. If something were to happen to you [which no one is praying for, but a possibility of life], the vice president should take over as stipulated in our constitution.
After the vice president, our constitution says that the Speaker of the National Assembly takes over. But the vice president has many other responsibilities in our governance system. It is the vice president that represents the president at the National Assembly, it is the vice president that presides over meetings if the president is not there and so on and so forth.
The raging debate on whether you will stay for three or five years has brought the issue of the vice president to the forefront once again. It was understood that it was the constitutional provision of upperage limit for president and vice president that was barring you from appointing someone, and your being a democrat, you did not want to violate the constitution.
Now though, that provision has been changed, thus, you can – should – appoint a vice president soonest.
As at now, Mr President, your Cabinet is incomplete. This is worrying considering that yours is only a transitional government.
Complete your cabinet Mr President.
