By Kebba AF Touray
The second reading of the Constitution (Promulgation) Bill, 2024, originally scheduled for later this month, has been postponed until June, the National Assembly announced Friday.
In a statement, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly said the delay followed a request from Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow, who asked lawmakers to push the reading to the legislature’s second ordinary session of 2025.
“The Office of the Clerk wishes to inform the general public that the Assembly Business Committee (ABC) of the National Assembly received a request from the Justice Minister (Person in Charge of the Bill) for the assembly to reschedule the second reading of the bill to the second ordinary session, 2025,” the statement read.
The bill was initially set for its second reading on March 27, as part of the approved agenda for the First Ordinary Session of 2025. However, after deliberations on March 5, the ABC approved the Justice Ministry’s request to postpone the reading, according to the Clerk’s Office.
“As a result,” the statement continued, “the business for Thursday, March 27, 2025, regarding the second reading of the Constitution (Promulgation) Bill, 2024, has now been rescheduled.”
The bill, a key legislative effort to overhaul the nation’s constitution, has been a subject of intense debate among lawmakers and the public. The delay is expected to prolong discussions on the future of the country’s constitutional reforms.
