By Abdoulie John
Minority Leader Samba Jallow has urged the country’s lawmakers to consider tabling no-confidence motion against President Yahya Jammeh since he is ‘unable to discharge his duty.’
“The National Assembly should try to implement section 66 of the
constitution which deals with mental or physical incapacity of the
President,” Hon Bah, a member of opposition National Reconciliation Party, said.
Hon Bah’s call comes on the heels of series of controversial decisions taken by President Jammeh, leaving many people wondering whether Gambian leader still has the ability to fulfill his responsibility. The presidential decision to sack 27 government officials on the eve of Muslim Feast of Eid-ul-fitr seems to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Hon. Samba Jallow said the Parliament has a role to play in ensuring that the commitments of the executive body are fulfilled. “This is very important now because the situation of the Gambia is alarming,” he stated.
He then recounted successive acts posed by President Jammeh which have proven that he has ‘failed to run the affairs of the Nation’.
“Looking back at the just concluded Presidential tour, Jammeh never
talked about policies and programmes. Instead, he devoted much of his time and energy castigating the opposition, threatening to kill members of the Mandinka ethnic group.”
Gambia’s Minority Leader took the opportunity to decry the move taken by the Presidency to sack the entire municipal police countrywide, and mount mass arrest at the ministry of petroleum after government officials were accused of committing the biggest economic crime for the past 20 years.
A no-confidence vote against the President requires to be endorsed “by not less than one half of all the members of the National Assembly
alleging that the President is, by reason of infirmity of mind or
body, incapable of discharging the functions of his or her office”.
The Constitution also says that the “Speaker shall request the Chief
Justice to constitute, on the recommendation of the head of the
medical services of the Gambia, a Medical Board comprising at least
five independent medical practitioners of appropriate standing.”
Ends
I wish there were enough NAMS like him, to represent our views and stand for us…Unfortunately, he is a lone voice in that Honourable House, with so many dishonourable members..