By: Yankuba Jallow
The Ministry of Justice said on Friday that a bill for an Act to promulgate the Constitution of The Gambia 2020 and repeal the 1997 Constitution has been completed and was published in the Gazette yesterday 28th May, 2020.
Below is the full text of the press release issued by the Ministry of Justice;
The Ministry of Justice wishes to inform the general public that the Bill for an Act to promulgate the Constitution of The Republic of The Gambia, 2020 and repeal the Constitution of The Republic of The Gambia, 1997 has now been completed and was published in the Gazette yesterday 28th May, 2020.
This is the first such publication. The second publication of the Bill in the Gazette shall occur 3 months from this date. Thereafter, the Bill should be ready for introduction into the National Assembly at least 10 days after the date of the second publication in the Gazette pursuant to section 226 of the 1997 Constitution.
The Ministry wishes to thank the general public for their continued interest and engagement in this Constitutional review process.
The CRC was setup by President Adama Barrow in June 2018 to review the 1997 Constitution and draft a new one. The Commission made consultations both home and abroad with Gambians on their views and aspirations. After, the consultation with all sections of the population, they drafted a first draft and did a second nationwide consultation for people to make their final inputs to the would-be national document (constitution) if it passes through the referendum.
The Commission after a year and some months of consultation came up with a draft constitution which they presented to the President on the 30th March 2020.
The step that should follow after the handing of the document to the President was the publication of the draft constitution into the gazette and next the tabling of the motion for its consideration before the lawmakers.
The Gambia Government has committed itself to table the draft before the National Assembly before end of August 2020.
