By Yankuba Jallow
The Gambia National Assembly has on Thursday, the 21st June 2018, adopted and approved a motion for it to return to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
According to the mover, the Minority Leader and the member for Niamina Dankunku, Honourable Samba Jallow, he said the Assembly unanimously adopted a motion for the Gambia’s re-entry to the Commonwealth of Nations. ‘In this wake, the Clerk of the National Assembly wrote to the Secretary-General of CPA to renew Gambia’s Membership to the CPA.’
He said the unfortunate unilateral decision by the then government to withdraw The Gambia for the Commonwealth of Nations resulted in the National Assembly losing its membership in the CPA.
“The CPA is an international community of Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the commitment of democratic governance to the highest standards. It exists to develop, promote and support parliamentarians and staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and to implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. Through dialogue, it seeks to foster cooperation and understanding between Parliaments, promote good Parliamentary practice and advance Parliamentary democracy,” Hon Jallow stated.
Hon. Jallow believes that the Gambia re-joining the CPA will be of great benefit to the National Assembly.
“Cognisant of the ever-changing international parliamentary relations and diplomacy, unprecedented threats to peace and security, and a surge in popular demands for democracy, human rights and broadened parliamentary cooperation, the potential of and need for a parliamentary network such as the CPA as a catalyst for promoting development and democracy is even greater now” Bah concluded.
In their reactions, all the Honourable members of the House said the motion was timely and that there is need for the National Assembly to re-join the CPA since the Gambia has joined the Commonwealth of Nations. They all stated that the CPA will be of great benefit to the Gambia National Assembly and the country at large.
