By Abdoulie John
As Gambia has embarked on an ambitious constitution-building process, the Chairperson of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow, has reiterated the commitment of the eleven-member panel to ensure the independence of the newly formed body.
“The Commission is independent and does not represent any particular interest group,” Justice Jallow told reporters at a press conference held on Tuesday at Atlantic Hotel in the capital city Banjul.
Established on June 1st 2018, the eleven-member Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) was subsequently sworn into office on June 4 by Gambia’s Adama Barrow. The panel is tasked with the responsibility of drawing up proposals for the country’s founding document that would ‘resist the test of time.’
Justice Jallow said all CRC members are aware of the fact that the objective they have embarked upon constitutes a national one, saying “all interests have to be received and considered in accordance with the guiding principles enshrined in the CRC Act, 2017.”
In a bid to make the entire process participatory, he made it clear that the Commission will receive and review recommendations emanating from the consultative process they have already initiated.
The CRC went further to solicit the support of all Gambians from all walks of life with a view to ensure a process which is guided by participation, inclusiveness, representation, transparency and national ownership.
Consequently, Justice Jallow added that “the end product of which will be a sound Constitution which reflects the collective values, beliefs and aspirations of all Gambians.”
Lifting a corner of the veil on CRC’s immediate plans, the Head of the country’s constitutional review body revealed that they are working on the establishment of a Secretariat.
The CRC boss outlined their intent to create a work plan, map out a communication strategy, develop modalities for public consultations involving major stakeholders. The panel will also come up with a monitoring and evaluation strategy that would help to “enrich the process to make it inclusive for all layers of Gambian society.”
Ends