By Omar Bah
Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow has supported the Cabinet’s amendments to the draft constitution, asserting that they resulted from extensive consultations.
In 2020, 23 lawmakers purportedly aligned with President Barrow voted against the CRC draft upon its presentation on the House floor, alleging that it unfairly targeted the president’s term limit. The government’s revised draft faced widespread criticism for being self-serving and lacking broad applicability.
Minister Jallow informed the press that the 2024 draft resulted from thorough consultations and incorporated the lessons learned from the unsuccessful CRC draft. He stressed that the new draft aims to establish a constitution that can garner support in the National Assembly and obtain the Gambian people’s endorsement in a referendum, ultimately setting a legal framework to address historical injustices and pave the way for a democratic and prosperous future for The Gambia.
Minister Jallow dismissed claims that he misrepresented the consultations preceding the amendments, asserting that reports from these consultations are available at the Ministry of Justice. He also stated that the government would make the names of political leaders and civil society organizations participating in the consultations accessible. Additionally, he noted that the report from the Abuja dialogue formed part of the documents considered by the Cabinet during the review process.
