28 years lie between the birth of the 1997 Constitution and 2025 when the National Assembly members are sitting to decide the fate of the 1997 Constitution. Will it be retained or changed to give birth to a third republic?
This question was put to Halifa Sallah and he said the following:
It is for the National Assembly to decide. The National Assembly has commenced the debate to prepare to vote on its principles, which constitutes its second reading. It would require the support of three-quarters of all the members of the National Assembly for the legislative process to continue to the committee stage. Without the support of the three-quarters majority, the bill will suffer the same fate as the 2020 version.
If that happens the Gambian people should sit down and ask themselves the question: Why did their political leaders spend so much time lamenting all the amendments done to the 1997 constitution, some even calling it a constitution promulgated by soldiers. Now we have elected representatives with full authority to scrutinize the content of a bill and build consensus on what is best for the country, after so much effort was done to bring about change in 2016.
At least, National Assembly members were caught by surprise and crippled by inexperience, thus leading to the throwing away of the baby with the bath water to the detriment of the nation. Those responsible for stopping the constitution making process in 2020 have their names recorded by history and posterity will explain why Gambians could not have the constitution of a third republic in 2020.
In the same vein, history is holding its trend and is noting every word stated during the debate on the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia (Promulgation) Bill 2024. Should the bill suffer the same fate as in 2020 history record the names of all those who prevented the constitution of a third republic to go through in 2025. If that happens, all those who voted against it will lose the moral authority to criticize the 1997 constitution as amended over the years.
The Gambian people will however be left with no other option, should the constitution making process be aborted, but to demand piecemeal amendments of the 1997 Constitution to include a term limit, a second ballot if no candidate receives 50 percent plus one votes, women alone voters to have one-third women representation in all representative institutions, a disability quota for representative institutions, diaspora voting and leave with pay for all candidates for the duration of election campaign and voting.
