By Adama Makasuba
The Constitutional Review Commission on Saturday held dialogue with political parties aimed discuss issues of the constitutional reform with political parties and update them on some of the preliminary submission to the commission.
Eight political parties that showed up include- UDP, APRC, PDOIS, PPP, GDC, NRP, GMC, GPDP, and NCP.
The CRC considers such dialogue relevant to the on-going constitutional building process leading to the drafting of a new constitution for The Gambia as mandated under the Constitutional Review Commission Act, 2017.
In his opening remark, chairman of the commission, Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow, said since the commission started its works that “we thought that this being a national endeavor we need to approach from a broad prospect that will ensure there is transparency that we do with regard to the constitutional review process.”
“We also ensure that it is an inclusive process to participate in the constitutional review process. I will also needed to ensure that the people of this country to whom the constitution is meant having participated in the process will ultimately be the ones to ownership of the constitution,” he said.
Justice Jallow said despite the commission giving precedence to public opinions expressed that “I can assure you commission hasn’t taken a position with regard to any particular subject matter.”
He said this is as a result that the commission has to come down to certain decision as the mandate of the commission dictate.
He urged people to desist from viewing the process of the commission as politics, saying this is not about.
Meanwhile, Mai Ahmet Fatty, leader of Gambia Moral Congress said IEC commissioners should be subjected to public scrutiny before their appointment, adding “the constitution should ban non-Gambians from funding political parties.”
Former ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction interim leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta supports the presidential system of government.
He said there should be no age limit for presidency, and that dual citizens could not be president, adding that he preferred absolute majority in elections.
Jatta further said political parties should present their financial reports to the government for public consumption.
He also supports marbles system of casting vote and counting instead of ballot papers in elections. He said “we must accept scrutiny is national scrutiny, adding parliamentary scrutiny is enough.”
UDP leader, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe said the commissioners should declare their assets before assuming office, adding “they should be persons with integrity.”
He said: “people who should serve in the office of Independent Electoral Commission should declare their assets.”
He also supports a system of government that is a hybrid of the presidential and parliamentary systems.
He added that a person of dual citizenship could not be a president, adding that age should not be an issue in presidential requirements.
Representing Gambia Democratic Party, Mr Dr. Demba Sabally, said “it should not be a business of anyone to scrutinize any party on how it get its funding.
He said: “if government can give subvention to political parties then it can scrutinize the parties if not why would they scrutinize us.”
“Source of funding for political parties should not be the business of the state,” he added.
People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, Amie Sillah supports presidential age limit of 30 to 80 in the draft document presented.
She said the president could not establish charity organizations but members of his/her family could.
People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism party’s Fatou Touray also supports the presidential system of government, saying that ministers should be put to public scrutiny first before appointment.
Filly Suso supports presidential system of government, adding that presidential term limits should be introduced and that there should not be any academic requirement for the presidency.