By Kebba AF Touray
Two Gambian lawmakers have called for the use of the country’s national languages during legislative deliberations and in schools.
Hon. Sulayman Jammeh and Hon. Musa Cham, the Member for Bundung and Serrekunda, respectively, made this call during the recently ended adjournment debate of the National Assembly’s First Ordinary Session in the 2025 legislative year. The two lawmakers justified that this will allow the electorate to monitor the legislative performance of their various representatives.
According to the members, holding parliamentary deliberations in a foreign language is a complete betrayal of the majority of voters who are illiterate.
Member for Bundugka Kunda Hon. Sulayman Jammeh said it is time to localise all deliberations as well as ensure that the media unit of the National Assembly broadcasts daily proceedings live in the native languages for the electorates.
This, he said, will enable the electorate to listen to the comments and interventions by their representatives as well as understand what their members say and do during legislative debates and deliberations.
“In fact, we are even violating their right because we are speaking a language that they cannot understand, and when we are seeking their votes, we speak to them in our own languages that they understand,” Hon. Jammeh said.
On his part, the Member for Serrekunda, Hon. Musa Cham, said he wants clarity on the issue of teaching national languages in Schools, saying: “We need to know why only one language is prioritised in the National Assembly.’’
He said he also wants clarity on a pilot program on local languages taught in schools and the implementing agency as well as how the teachers involved in this program are remunerated.
Hon. Cham harped on the Elections Bill 2025, which sought to provide diaspora voting, submitting that there is no reason the diaspora should be disenfranchised.
“All other provisions in our constitution advanced here are subject to amendment, and the issue of demarcation lies solely on the IEC. Even if we enfranchise the diaspora in our demarcation, this does not connote that we will take it outside of the Gambia. Rather, we are incorporating the law in the Gambia because it is a norm,” he said.
He said the citizens of neighboring countries such as Senegal and Guinea Bissau participate in their countries’ elections whilst in the Gambia.
“So I think this should not be a problem if there is the political will to do so,” Hon. Cham said.
Hon. Cham said voter attestation has been misconstrued, arguing that it is not the duty of an Alkalo to issue attestations.
“We have advanced that every Alkalo be given a Clerk who will register births and deaths in their communities,” Hon. Cham said. He also informed the Education Minister that Serrekunda School lacks a night watchman, and further reported that the premise is being used as a sanctuary for criminals and juvenile delinquents and calls on the Minister to proffer a solution to this issue.
