By: Momodou Justice Darboe & Nyima Sillah
President Adama Barrow’s adviser on political affairs has contended that the President was enthusiastic about a new constitution but that the draft was thrown out by NAMs of the 5th Legislature for reasons best known to them.
According to presidential adviser Saihou Mballow, the Gambian leader has been putting in genuine efforts for the birth of a new constitution that will represent the interests of Gambians.
“We are still working with the 1997 Constitution but I know the President is making all efforts to make sure that he brings us a genuine constitution that, you know, represents the interest of Gambians,” Mballow said in an interview with Teranga FM aired on Monday.
He added: “It(Barrow’s constitution) would not represent the interests of a few people. No. We want a constitution that really represents the interests of the Gambian people. That’s it and I have seen that President Barrow is working very hard to make sure that he brings about a good constitution in this country.”
Mballow alleged that the draft new constitution failed at the National Assembly at the instance of the NAMS.
He stated:“If you look at the failure of the draft constitution…the National Assembly was represented. They are the people, who are responsible. They have a good reason why they rejected it. If they say they would not allow it to pass, who is Saihou Mballow or Adama Barrow or anybody to say what the Assembly did will not be accepted? They have the power to legislate. That’s why they are there. They are lawmakers. They scrutinized what was good and bad for the country. They are the ones, who did it. President Barrow is desirous of a new constitution whether we revise the 1997 Constitution or revive the draft or a fresh one…that we wait to see what is going to be brought to the table.”
