By Gambia
The Gambia National Assembly, when will you introduce the motion to impeach the president?
You need to be reminded of the following provisions of the constitution:
SECTION 1. The Gambia is a sovereign secular Republic. (Entrenched, and can only be amended by referendum with over 50% of voters participating and a 75% yes. Section 226 sub-section 4D).
Section 4: The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Gambia. Any law that is inconsistent with the constitution, shall to the extent of that inconsistency be null and void. (Entrenched as Section 1).
Section 7F: Sharia as regards to marriage, divorce and inheritance among members of the community to which it applies.
Section 61:2 The president shall uphold and defend this constitution as the supreme law of the Gambia. (Entrenched and same rule as Section 1 on its amendment)
Section 67: The President may be removed from office in accordance with this section on any of the following grounds-
(a) abuse of office, wilful violation of the oath of allegiance or the President’s oath of office, or wilful violation of any provision of this Consultation,
(b) misconduct in that-
(i): he or she has conducted himself in a manner which brings or is likely to bring the office of President into contempt or disrepute;
Now, your responsibility:
Suction 5 sub-section 3: The failure to obey or carry out any order made or direction given under subsection 2 shall constitute the offence of violating the Constitution and
(a) shall, in the case of the President or Vice President, constitute a ground for his or her removal from office in accordance with section 67;
Or do you all need to be recalled by your constituents before you realise that you swore to defend the constitution and are being paid to do something when the President violates it.
Time will judge.
Ends
All these APRC members of parliament will be barred from political office for 10 years after Jammeh is gone. It has happen recently in Burkina Faso.
What the APRC politicians don’t factor into there future lives is that, in addition to being paid by taxpayers monies, they are aiding a dictator suppressing the rights of the people, violating the constitution and illegally using state resources. There will be a price to pay for not doing their job as the second and most powerful arm of a democratic State.
Time will tell.
I Deyda, do sincerely believe that it is more than high time that the Diaspora organizations write a statement to demand the APRC members of Parliament to uphold the law in impeaching president Jammeh as they have more than enough reasons to do so. Failing which, they will be held responsible for watching Jammeh sliding the country into a dangerous and chaotic path which can even lead to Civil War. This STATEMENT should be sent all International Organizations e.g The UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS, and the NGOs.
By doing so they would have been pre-warned to do their sacrosanct job enjoined to them by the constitution, failing which they will be held responsible for not doing their rightful job.
Thank you Gambia for highlighting the above article reminding the MPs of their responsibility.
Good observations but we can bet our lives that no such actions will be taken…There is absolutely no hope from that quarter….
If they can’t even hold a position on the budget and defend it, how can they initiate impeachment proceedings…
I think that when the process of holding officials (who served under Jammeh’s reign) to account begins, the NAMS should be at the top of the list… They have been amongst Jammeh’s greatest helpers in what he has been doing since 1996..
Dictator jammeh has been violating the constitution of The Gambia since day one when he committed treasonable crime by overthrew of our elected government. From that fateful day, every actions and deeds he did are crimes which should have led to his impeachment if he lives in civilized and democratic society where there is rule of law, respect for constitution and other international laws. The red line has been crossed million times before with total impunity. I also think that you are talking to wrong people to impeach the Dictator. Gambia National Assembly is as useless and deadly as Ebola virus. We shouldn’t expect anything significant from them to improve the lives of Gambian people. The current movie play by Dictator jammeh has been played before, therefore there is nothing new , the same old tactics of using Islam to gain support of population whose only focus is to see him pretending to be praying without understanding what he stand for and who he believe in .
Gambia, like Mr Halifa Sallah thanks for reminding us about the constitutional “red lines” entrenched in our so-called constitution. So called because this piece of documents called the constitution of the gambia is being rendered irrelevant and it’s not worth the paper its written on.
The parliament you are soliciting action from, would crown a king if they are asked to do so – although the Republican status is an entrenched clause.
Like Bax said, no hope from that side!