By: Binta Jaiteh
The UDP legislators on Monday walked out of the National Assembly in protest following the decision of the House Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta to send the Central Baddibou NAM Sulayman Saho out of the legislative chambers.
There was commotion in the House when Speaker Jatta invoked the Standing Orders in attempt to eject NAM Saho from the House for “disrupting” parliamentary proceedings. The speaker said the Standing Orders was invoked because NAM Saho was disrupting the Nianija NAM, who was on his feet, making contribution to a parliamentary debate. NianijaMP Amadou Camara was trying to highlight the infrastructural developments delivered by the Barrow administration but the NAM for Sabach Sanjal Alagie Babou Ceesay accused the Central Baddibou NAM of causing disturbances in House whilst NAM Camara was on his feet. The Sabach Sanjal lawmaker raised a point of order under (17F) of the Standing Orders, which states that when a member is speaking, all other members shall remain silent and not to make any unseeming interruptions.
The Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta ruled that the point of order raised by Ceesay was sustained but NAM Saho questioned the Speaker’s ruling, adding that the House speaker is not fair to him because Babou Ceesay “was also drumming like a griot while another member was deliberating”. This comment by Saho did not, however, sit well with NAM Cessay, who responded that he will be happy to be a griot because he is not better than griots. NAM Ceesay argued that Parliament is not a political platform but a Bantaba, where crucial matters are discussed.
“This country should move and anyone who wants to use this platform for politics, I will stand firm to defend [the integrity of the Parliament]. I don’t want to be praised or look for any means for favoritism as a lawmaker,” he charged.
Speaker Jatta angrily told Saho not to accuse him without facts.
“In no decent parliament in the world could a honorablemember behave like you did. You must learn to discipline yourself. You cannot shout at me. We have all witnessed what happened recently. As per the provision of Standing Orders 21, 2,I order Saho to withdraw from the chamber,” he ruled.
Saho, however, ignored the Speaker for a while, prompted the speaker to summon the security officer on duty but the sergeant didn’t act.
This incident caused serious confrontations in the chamber for an hour as the speaker vowed not to proceed if Saho didn’t leave the chamber.
The minority caucus then stormed out of the chamber after a tense discussion, murmuring that the speaker’s ruling was unjust.
The lawmaker for Illiasa Sankung Dampha expressed disappointment in the reaction of the UDP NAMs, adding that the behavior of some lawmakers cannot be accepted “as this House is important”.
