By Kemo Kanyi
A group called Coalition of Progressive Gambians (CoPG) yesterday made known their plans to protest against the introduction of the 2024 Draft Constitution.
The planned protest, the group said, will take place on Thursday, November 7th.
Lamin Bojang, spokesperson for the movement, intimated that they will stage the protest to show their dissatisfaction about the changes made to the 2020 Constitutional Review Commission’s Draft, adding thatchanging of specific areas of the Draft needs public consultation which, he believes, was single-handedly done by the government.
‘’We are saying that the changes made on the entrenched clauses by the Barrow government are quite unacceptable and they should by no means be subjected to change by any discontented individual as drafted by the CRC. Now that the government is about to table it for first reading before parliament on the 27thof November, we are against the introduction of the 2024 Draft Constitution. This is why we are coming out this Thursday to show our dissatisfaction towards the tabling of the Draft. We want to see the Draft of 2020 by the Constitutional Review Commission and if there is going to be any changes of the entrenched clauses, then it has to go through a referendum,’’ he stated in an audio shared on the movement’s WhatApp platform on Monday.
Mr. Bojang said the selection of the Inspector General of Police, the Ombudsman, Chief Justice and the chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission are some of the clauses changed in the 2020 Draft.
He urged all Gambians, especially politicians and rights activists to join the crusade in solidarity with “our national interest”.
‘’These changes have indicated to us that the Barrow government wanted to take the country back to the old days of dictatorship. We are calling on all Gambians, including political parties and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to stand and fight against a possible reintroduction of bad governance in the country,’’ he added.
Bojang pointed out that the 2024 Draft Constitution gave presidential immunity to the Head of State, ensuring thathe can never be called to account for whatever he didduring his tenure as president.
