Adjournment Debate Hangs On A Balance As President Reshuffles Cabinet

By Awa B. Bah

The National Assembly on Friday June 29^th 2018, adjourned their debate on the adjournment of the second ordinary session in the 2018 legislative year. The assembly was set to move a motion on the adjournment debate sine and die, when news of a cabinet reshuffle by the president, reached deputies. Ministers who were seen waiting for the adjournment of the National Assembly sine and die, left the premises of the Assembly one after the other.

Shortly after the recap of the Majority Leader, the Speaker of the National Assembly Mariam Jack Denton, suggested for members to adjourn the adjournment debate because Minister and other stakeholders, are to be present during the adjournment debate. This she said was as a result of some official rearrangement from State House. A motion was moved and seconded for the National Assembly to adjourn till today, June 3^rd 2018, for the adjournment debate to proceed.

However, a detailed summary on the recent engagement of Members in the second ordinary session which started from the 18^th to the 29^th June 2018, preceded, before the adjournment where it was highlighted that the assembly considered and adopted records of votes during proceedings of daily sittings; that interaction between Ministers and the Assembly on issues regarding their Ministries and portfolios, was business as usual; that Ministers’ responses y to questions raised by Members, was fairly satisfactory.

Committee Reports:

Deputies considered and adopted reports on parliamentary delegations in their over sight functions. The NA Select Committees on Land, Regional Governments and the Ombudsman and IEC reports and minutes of meeting of the National Assembly Authority, and other reports of other Select Committees, were considered and adopted.

Motions

The session witnessed the tabling, consideration, adoption and ratification of Charters, protocols, and conventions.

Bills

Bills were also considered and passed by deputies. The Basic and Secondary Education bill 2018 which was later referred to the NA Select Committee on Education, Training and ICT, for further review, was passed and adopted by deputies including the National Audit Amendment and the Gambia Civil Aviation bill 2018.