FGM/C Bill, Vetting Bill, State of The Nation Set for Parliament in June and July 2024

Members of The Gambia’s Sixth Legislature (c) Yusef Taylor

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

The Gambia’s National Assembly is scheduled to start their Second Ordinary Session of the year 2024 on 24th June and conclude on 24th July 2024 which will see the return of the Women's Amendment Bill [dubbed the Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision (FGM/C) Bill], the controversial Vetting Bill and President Adama Barrow’s 2024 State of the Nation Address.

Bills are usually tabled for their First and Second Reading, followed by the Consideration Stage and concluding with the Third Reading. A Bill may be subjected to a Committee which will produce a report of their findings and then used by Parliament as a guide during the Consideration Stage. The Consideration Stage is when Parliament reviews the Bill, clause by clause.

The first day will see the return of the Judiciary Officer’s (Remuneration and Other Entitlements Bill), the Vetting Bill, the National Assembly Salaries and Pensions Bill, the National Security Council Bill, and two Bills on Education. Three motions will also be considered which include a Code of Conduct for National Assembly Members and two visa exemptions for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders from Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

The following day will continue with a series of motions starting with three motions to establish and upgrade higher education Institutions like Gambia Technical Training Institute to the University of Science Engineering and Technology, the Management Development Institute into a Civil Service University and Gambia College into a University for Education. Two Charters from the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights for Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons will face Parliament for ratification.

In addition to visa exemptions for Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders of countries from Indonesia and Azerbaijan, the Parliament will table an agreement and a convention for ratification. The “Manpower Agreement between the Government of The Gambia and Saudi Arabi and UAE” will certainly raise eyebrows. In addition to this, the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflicts will also face ratification on 23rd July.

Vetting Bill Coming on the First Day

The Vetting Bill is scheduled to be tabled by the Minister for Justice on the first day of the Second Ordinary Session. This Bill aims to establish the National Vetting Agency which will vet all government staff through a “Clearance Certificate”. The Vetting Bill 2023 was criticised for not being limited to Security Personnel and covering all government officials.

In its previous form, the Vetting Bill 2023 considers a person “as an unacceptable security risk if his or her spouse or other close relatives are considered” – “not loyal to The Gambia and its constitutional order and value” and “has a preference or may be manipulated, induced or blackmailed to help a group, person, organization or foreign government in a manner detrimental to the interest of The Gambia”.

These loose terms and requirements included in the Vetting Bill 2023 give the National Vetting Agency the power to deny applicants “a security clearance if his or her spouse or close associate refused to participate in the security vetting procedure”. Its First and Second Reading are scheduled for 24th June and 15th July, respectively.

FGM Bill and 2024 State of The Nation Address

President Adama Barrow's yearly State of the Nation Address is set for 27th June followed by debates on his statement on the 1st and 2nd July. The following Wednesday, Parliamentarians will ask questions to Ministers and the Vice President.

The hugely controversial bill which aims to repeal the ban on FGM/C is set to take centre stage on 4th July where a report will be tabled by the Joint Committee of Health and Gender followed by the Consideration Stage of the Bill on 16th July. The FGM/C repeal Bill will face its final Third Reading on the last day of the Second Ordinary Session, 24th July.

If Parliament’s schedule is followed then the Bill to repeal the ban on FGM/C could be passed or rejected before the end of July 2024.

Another important Bill progressing at a snail's pace in Parliament is the continuation of the Consideration Stage of the Criminal Offences Bill on the 8th and 22nd of July. This will be followed with its Third Reading on the last day of the session. The Criminal Offences Bill is expected to repeal the offences of Sedition which two United Democratic Party supporters are currently facing charges for in court.

The Elections Bill which will upgrade the country’s electoral process and ensure that the Diaspora can vote is also on Parliament’s Agenda. The Bill languishing in Parliament for over four years will start with the Consideration Stage on Tuesday 9th July and conclude with the Third Reading on the last day of the session.

Hon Hamat Bah’s Tourism Petition

The petition that Hon Hamat Bah has been speaking about against him in Parliament will also be the subject of Parliament. On 11th July Parliament is scheduled to pass a resolution on the report of the National Assembly Petitions Committee on the Petitions from concerned staff of the Gambia Tourism Board.

Lands Minister Hon Hamat Bah is expected to have reported to Parliament on the 10th of July to respond to Oral Questions. He will also respond to Parliament’s Report on an oversight visit to Offices of Regional Governors, Area and Municipal Councils, the Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission on the 16th of July.

Parliamentary Tours and Financial Oversight

Parliament’s Select Committee on Trade and Regional Integration has been on a Tour of selected Markets and will be summoning the Minister of Trade to respond to their report on 16th July. Meanwhile, two other tours have been conducted and a report is expected to be submitted by the Standing Committee on Public Enterprises focusing on visits to NAWEC, SSHFC and GRTS. The second tour report to be submitted is by the Select Committee on Agriculture who visited Agricultural Project sites. These two reports are scheduled for submission on 23rd July.

The session also provides an opportunity for the Minister for Finance to update Parliament on the implementation of the Budget audits and other queries under his Ministry. The Finance Minister will start his Parliamentary engagements on the first day of the session [24th June 2024] by updating Parliament on the implementation of the Annual Budget and tabling the National Assembly Salaries and Pensions Bill.

The Finance Minister will then respond to questions on 10th July followed by a statement for the Second Reading of the National Assembly Salaries and Pensions Bill the following day. Finally, the Finance Minister will respond to Parliament’s Report on the Audit for the years 2019 and 2020.