President Barrow’s Early SONA 2025 to Precede Crucial Draft Constitution Reading

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

The Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly has officially announced the commencement of the First Ordinary Session of the 2025 Legislative Year, scheduled to begin on 3rd March and conclude on 28th March 2025. The session will coincide with the month of Ramadan, a significant period of fasting for Muslims, and will be marked by several pivotal events. Among the highlights, President Adama Barrow is set to deliver his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on 20th March 2025. This early address comes ahead of the highly anticipated Second Parliamentary Reading of the 2024 Draft Constitution, which will take place just days later.

Following the SoNA, Members of Parliament will engage in debates on 24th and 25th March, with Cabinet ministers scheduled to respond to oral questions from lawmakers on 26th March. The key moment of the session, the Second Reading of the 2024 Draft Constitution, is scheduled for 27th March 2025. This debate is expected to last the entire day, with lawmakers needing a 75% quorum to vote on the draft. If all members are present, a minimum of 43 votes in favor is required for the constitution to progress. Should the Second Reading fail, the draft will be rejected, just as the 2020 Draft Constitution was.

The timing of the State of the Nation Address is significant, as it provides President Barrow with an opportunity to influence Parliament's decision regarding the 2024 Draft Constitution. The President's early address aims to convince parliamentarians to delegate the constitution's review to a Parliamentary Committee. A failure to pass the constitution would be a blow to the reform process, echoing the fate of the 2020 Draft Constitution.

Beyond constitutional matters, the First Ordinary Session will also include a review of the government’s budget execution, which is typically presented by the finance minister on the opening day of Parliament. However, in 2024, the finance minister faced multiple challenges in providing timely updates on the budget’s implementation, leading to a concerning lack of transparency.

The session will also see the progression of several significant legislative bills, including the Intellectual Property Bill, the Election Bill, and the Local Government (Amendment) Bill. The latter, introduced by Hon. Yahya Menteng Sanyang of the Minority Caucus, seeks to grant local government councilors the right to vote in a manner similar to that of National Assembly members. In speaking about the bill, Hon. Sanyang emphasized the importance of ensuring uniformity in the application of the law, asserting that denying councilors the right to vote is an outdated and unjust law.

Another highly anticipated moment will be the debate on the Criminal Procedure and Criminal Offences Bill, as well as the Parliamentary Report on the Government’s 2020 Accounts. Additionally, Parliament will consider the findings of the FPAC and PEC’s $30 million US Dollars Petroleum Inquiry and deliberate on the National Security Council Bill.

For those concerned with education, the third reading of the Students Revolving Loan Scheme will also take place, expanding access to financial support for students in need.

March 2025 promises to be a month of intense debate and critical decision-making, with significant constitutional, financial, and legislative matters at stake. The eyes of the nation will undoubtedly be on the National Assembly as it shapes the future of governance in The Gambia.