By Nelson Manneh
Yankuba Badjie, a resident of Kwinella, Lower River Region, has told the Constitutional Review Commission in their nationwide tour that the powers of the president should be limited.
“The powers of the president regarding presidential decrees and vote should be limited and the appointment and dismissal of top civil savants should not be handle by the president instead there should be a body establish for such,” he said.
The residents of Kwinella made this and other statements yesterday the 6 December 2018, at the Constitution Reviewing Commission (CRC) non-patisan consultation of the people in the reviewing process of the 1997 Constitution.
Mr. Yankuba Badjie a native of Kwinela Village said, the simple majority is what Gambians know and that is what they are used to therefore let it continue.
Mr. Badjie added that the majority of Gambians are farmers and they need to be considered in all areas. He opined that the agriculture commission should be the first to be established and the commissioners in the Agriculture Commission should be farmers. He said if the farmers are represented by farmers then they will be able to know their pains and challenges.
He added that the Teaching, Health and Agriculture commissions should be established and should be independent as they are the backbone of every developing country.
“The speaker of the National Assembly should be elected by the members of the National Assembly and should not be from the five nominated members of the president,” he said.
Chief Jenieri Burama Sagnia in his contributions said, the fifteen years of residence before citizenship by naturalization and seven years for marriage is good and should not be reduced. “If a person spends 15 years in a country you should have the right to request for a citizenship. The seven years is also good for marriage,” he said.
The Chief of Kiang Central said if a person comes from another country with his wife and has children here those children should not be regarded as citizen until their parents should first fulfil their requirements and become citizens first.
“The death penalty is good but it needs to be explained to the people properly. There is a difference between man slaughter and murder, it needs to be explained well,” he said.
The commissioners explained to the people the election process according to the 1997 Constitution. Their suggestion on the proposed term limit, age limit and other human right issues according to the 1997 constitution and seek for their opinion on them.
Some residents of Kwinela and the surrounding villages in Kiang Central District, LRR said the 50% plus (+) at least in the first or second round presidential election, commonly known as the Absolute Majority is a waste of resources (money).
The Commission of eleven which is meant to review the 1997 Constitution and come up with a new constitution and a recommendation report have taken the responsibility of meeting the people all over the country by holding two meetings in each district in the whole country.
