2024 Draft Constitution’s 2nd Reading Knocked Out as Int. IDEA Commences Constitution Talks
Members of the Sixth Legislature © Askanwi
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
According to Parliament’s revised agenda dated 6th December 2024, the second reading for the 2024 Draft Constitution has been knocked out of Parliament’s agenda. In another related issue, the International IDEA’s Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas has flown into the country to commence another round of “Constitution Talks” with stakeholders.
After members of the Fifth Legislature rejected the 2020 Draft Constitution back in September 2022, the 2024 Draft Constitution was scheduled to return to Parliament for it’s First Reading on 27th November 2024, however, Parliament’s revised agenda now slates the First reading to take place on 23rd December 2024.
In the same vein the Second Reading is no longer in Parliament’s revised agenda which originally indicated it would take place on 21st December 2024 highlighting that the earliest this could take place will be in the First Ordinary Session of 2025.
Information reaching Askanwi indicates that the Minister for Justice, Hon Dawda A Jallow was not in town for the First Reading scheduled for 27th November 2024 which may have derailed the Promulgation of the 2024 Draft Constitution. This was after it was scheduled in Parliament’s approved Agenda and widely reported in the news that the 2024 Draft Constitution would be tabled for its First Reading in late November 2024.
The Speaker of the House Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta has also not advanced any reasons for the change in Parliament’s Agenda and why the First Reading failed to take place as scheduled in late November.
The 2024 Draft and the 2020 Draft Constitution © Askanwi
Meanwhile, in another related news, International IDEA in partnership with the Ministry of Justice organized a two-day mission on the draft constitution. An invitation obtained by Askanwi reveals that “the mission led by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas will be engaging political leaders and parties, the National Assembly and Civil Society to continue mediation efforts on the draft constitution”.
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel and the former head of UNOWAS was “assisted by three local moral guarantors; namely the President of the Supreme Islamic Council Sheikh Essa Foday Darboe, the Chairman of the Christian Council Bishop Bannie Manga and Civil Society Advocate Ms. Fatou Jagne Senghore”.
A roundtable discussion with Civil Society Organisations working on the Constitution took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre on Thursday, 5th December 2024 in the morning.
Civil Society Leaders including The Association of Non Governmental Organisations (TANGO), the Gambia Bar Association and the United Democratic Party have all released statements refuting claims from the Justice Minister that the 2024 Draft Constitution was a result of stakeholder consultations. In light of this our reporter questioned the Minister for Justice Hon Dawda Jallow that he was misleading the public by claiming that the 2024 Draft Constitution was a result of wide consultation with various stakeholders.
In response Hon Dawda Jallow explained that “the allegations that am misleading the public regarding there was no consultation is not true, there is a report that emanated from those consultations. The Political Parties that converged in Abuja one of them is Dr Ceesay [current Minister for Information and Broadcasting Services] he was in the Opposition at the time. They were going through the Constitution clause by clause, agreeing to disagree”.
The Justice Minister asserted that “there is a report that came from that, the report is in my Ministry, if some of you would want to get that you can get it. So, if am misleading, then that’s easy to prove”.
“Why would I stand and face the public and say there was consultation, there were reviews, clauses were discussed and changes were affected when that did not happen, what benefit would I get from doing that?” asked Hon Jallow.
He insisted that “there was actually consultation and clauses were discussed, agreements were reached for certain clauses to change, there were some stalemates on certain areas and each round of consultation generated reports and these reports are generated by International IDEA, an International NGO who have no reason to give me a report that is not true”.
It now appears that International IDEA is back in the country to engage in another round of consultations with the various stakeholders including Civil Society Leaders and Political Parties, some of whom have categorically disagreed with the Minister of Justice’s version of events on Consultations. Those in disagreement say that the engagements were merely discussions to revive the 2020 Draft Constitution rather than consultations on specific clauses.
President Barrow and 2020 Draft Constitution, Justice Minister Hon Dawda Jallow © Askanwi
