By: Nyima Sillah
The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) Youth leader, Mc Cham Junior, Tuesday hissed on the statement made by the former Vice President, Dr Isatou Touray, to the National Assembly Members that they should reconsider bringing back the draft constitution in order to empower women in leadership and politics.
In an interview with this medium, Mr. Cham divulged that the former Vice President should have played her role better as the second in command on the issue of adopting the draft constitution when she was a Vice President. But she, the “Vice President at the time, kept quiet about it,” he stressed.
“The Gambia spent D160 million on that draft constitution she and President Barrow plus the MPs of Barrow killed that draft constitution which she never talked about when she was in power as vice president.” he claimed.
Cham argued that if she really thinks that if the draft constitution should pass, she should have said it out and if they rejected her statement, she can simply resign from the government as Vice President, but she didn’t do that.
“The former Vice President killed the draft constitution together with President Barrow just because they didn’t want President Barrow’s first term to be part of it while she said in the public that whosoever against a President, against God. But she forgot that she had fought former President Yahya Jammeh in conjunction with Adama Barrow for several years. Were they not against God by fighting former President Jammeh, then?” he queried.
However, he said the best time for her to make this statement and awaken the souls of the MPs was when she was part of the cabinet.
He went on asking why she didn’t support Touma Njie to the parliament if truly she wants she knows that the draft constitution will empower women.
“When Touma was fighting for the bill to empower women, she (former VP) was there, but she did not make any effort for the MPs to vote for that bill, just because it was tabled by Touma Njie, which was for the interest of the entire women in the country,” he said.
