Friday, 25 September | By Sainey Darboe
The issuance of a press release by US and EU diplomats urging National Assembly members to approve the “Promulgation” and “repeal” bill of the Draft Constitution and the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia constitutes a transgression and interference in domestic affairs of The Gambia,top lawyer Lamin J. Darbo has charged.
He explained:
“Although the Communique itself is contested in that parliamentary scrutiny remains on track and squarely within the contours of the delineated legal framework, the larger difficulty with the joint statement lies in its arguable transgression against the UN Charter. Under Article 1, paragraph 2 of the Charter, it is clearly articulated that “the Purposes of the United Nations are:- To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”.
The events in the NA triggering this Joint Comminique are part of normal democratic conversation in a sovereign parliament and cannot therefore displace the Charter principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of another country. There is a lesson here and it is enmeshed with the issue of governance and the great haste with which The Gambia must tackle the urgent issue of economic independence. Even now there are spirited discussions in western capitals around the issue of Russian interference in American and other European elections”.
Lamin J. Darbo who studied law in the U.S and UK suggests grave consequences have been designed for people perceived to be engaged in a course of conduct deemed to be in breach of accepted norms in the countries of the errant diplomats. He added:
“In the USA, high-level careers were destroyed due to those allegations and the fallout came close to overwhelming the inner sanctums of the White House itself.
This Joint Communique swings the windmills of international diplomacy against the accepted norms and I hope the parliamentary system is allowed to operate on its normal rhythms.The Gambia values the great friendship of the Joint Communique nations but how about giving chance to the philosophy that a people deserve its government”.