Friday, 18 September | GunjurOnline
President Barrow has perfected elaborate plans to kill the new constitution in concert with some members of the National Assembly, a Western diplomatic source who spoke to sources close to Gunjuronline on the strictest condition of confidentiality has revealed.
The diplomat disclosed: “There is a conspiracy among many National Assembly Members in cahoots with President Barrow, to kill off the Constitution promulgation Bill as early as next Monday, when the voting is expected to take place”.
The intention, according to the diplomat, is to reject the final draft constitution, as early as next Monday.
In the bleak assessment of the diplomat, the constitution promulgation bill would have been rejected last Wednesday if the voting had taken place.
The Western diplomat maintained based on reliable National Assembly insider information, they are now working on the assumption that the Constitution promulgation Bill is likely to be rejected on Monday 21st September.
He added:
“It is not looking good at all, meaning that Gambians may be denied the opportunity to vote on a future referendum for the adoption or rejection of the new constitution if the constitution promulgation bill, as expected, is now killed off on Monday”.
The Gambia’s National Assembly is composed of 58 Members, of which 53 members are directly elected and an additional five members nominated by the President. Therefore, the future passage of the constitution promulgation bill in Parliament (for a possible national referendum) would require the support of at least 44 Members of Parliament (a three-quarters majority vote in favour).
But diplomatic sources reaching Gunjuronline do not believe the bill is likely to pass, barring fundamental changes at the eleventh hour. In short, the threshold of 44 MPs voting in favour of the bill may not be reached on Monday, according to this diplomat.This is the prevailing conventional wisdom within diplomatic circles.
If the bill doesn’t get sufficient backing from lawmakers on Monday, there would be no recourse left, with the implication that the final draft constitution would be dead and buried and that the whole constitutional review process would have been an exercise in futility.
Comments