By MUHAMMED S. BAH
The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), has announced that they are on track to carry out external public consultations with Gambians in the Diaspora.
According to a press release issued by the Chairperson of the Commission Justice Cherno Jallow, the CRC is well poised to embark on external public consultations to incorporate the views and aspirations of Gambians living outside.
Justice Jallow stated that significant progress has been made in preparation for the consultations which he said, will cover countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and United States of America; that in Africa, two counties will be covered, namely Senegal (Dakar) and Mauritania (Nouakchott).
Disclosing the Countries to be covered in Europe, the release stated that amongst them, are the United Kingdom (London), Germany (Berlin), Sweden (Stockholm), France (Paris) and Spain (Barcelona); that in the United States of America, the cities to be visited are New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis and Charlotte, and in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) will be covered.
“The calendar for the external consultations is expected to be published shortly and should provide advance notice to Gambians in the Diaspora, to enable them make appropriate plans to engage the CRC” Chairperson disclosed; that more details on the dates and specific venues of the meetings will be announced soon.
The release indicated that the CRC in its quest to be inclusive, and recognising the importance of the youth population as tomorrow’s leaders, engaged students through School consultations; that to date, thirty Schools throughout the seven administrative regions of the country, have been consulted and the level of participation and engagement was high and impressive.
It should be noted that the CRC is tasked with the responsibility to draft a new Constitution, and by so doing, to review the 1997 Constitution, seek the opinions of Gambian citizens at home and abroad through consultations, make appropriate proposals and draft within a period of eighteen months, a new Constitution that will stand the test of time. The Commission will prepare a report in relation to the Draft Constitution which will include the processes adopted by the Commission, in developing the new Constitution and the rationale for the provisions enshrined therein.
