Problem 1 – unconstitutional
Dr. Barrow’s aides cobbled together a bill. Send that bill to the National Assembly. The National Assembly vote yes on the bill. The bill is sent back to Dr. Barrow and he signed it in to law. Dr. Barrow sets up CRC to discard the 1997 Constitution. You know the rest…………
Both Dr. Barrow and the National Assembly has NO LEGAL/CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY to discard the constitution. Constitutionally speaking THAT Act of National Assembly IS NULL AND VOID. The National Assembly and the president have authority to amend (NOTE: AMEND) ONLY NONE ENTRENCHED CLAUSES. What they are doing now is uproot the whole damn thing
Problem 2 undemocratic
We are a democratic republic (supposed to). All powers of state reside with the sovereign people of The Gambia. The people entrust their agents/representatives’ powers as prescribed by the constitution. Any power not given (explicitly/implicitly) remains with the people. Discarding one constitution for another is one of the powers not given by 1997 constitution nor should it given by any constitution. Only the people of the Gambia can change entirety the constitution any given day as they see fit. Making few trekking stops at selected village in the country for so-called consultation and parading the faces (probably the most compliant) on GRTS DO NOT MEET THE DEMOCRATIC STANDARD OF PARTICIPATION. The product (outcome) is not truly the people’s
Problem 3 – setting up a bad precedence
Should we allow such a capricious brazen use of power to stand – a power we never gave them; be assured every new administration will be tempted to write her own constitution. Such is as GOOD AS NO CONSITUTION.
Some of the people that told us in 1996/7 that ‘we can’t wait’ and to vote yes on the then Draft 1997 Constitution. They argued that draft is better than its predecessor 1970 Constitution. That we can fix the problems later. They’re at it again. They demand we accept the Barrow/CRC Draft – it’s what we need. Now they are the ones’ discard their better 1997 constitution. Amazing – isn’t it? How can we go along with their logic ……? Can we presume they will be yes on a constitution drafted by next (future) administration? Every administration drafting a constitution is as good as no constitution.
DOESN’T THESE MATTER TO YOU? SPEAK UP! YOU’VE EQUAL EQUITY IN GAMBIA
For The Gambia Ever True
Burama FL Jammeh
Ends