Training on constitution building process and the role of the National Assembly opened Monday for the country’s Members of the National Assembly Select Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters.
Facilitated by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA), the training is aimed at providing the skills, knowledge and tools necessary for the House members to take part in this process through the means available to the legislative branch of the government.
“The training is significant because those involved in shaping constitutions require access to broad, multidisciplinary and practical knowledge about constitution-building processes and options, and this workshop is designed to provide the basics for addressing these challenges through sharing of comparative knowledge and expertise,” said Mariam Jack Denton, Speaker of the National Assembly.
According to Sumit Bisarya, head of the IIDEA constitution building programme, the training will enable its participants to discuss the ongoing constitution building process in Gambia’s political transition and state building.
The National Assembly is mandated by the 1997 Constitution to consider, debate and approve a referendum on proposed changes to the Constitution.
In December 2017, the Assembly passed the Constitutional Review Commission Act which was assented to by the President on 11 January 2018. Under this law, the CRC is mandated to draft a new constitution and prepare an accompanying report.
The CRC has since embarked on broad public consultations and is expected to submit a draft constitution before the end of 2019.
