During its second reading on Monday, the National Assembly rejected the eagerly awaited 2024 Draft Constitution, preventing it from moving on to the next legislative phase. Attorney General and Justice Minister Dawda A. Jallow introduced the measure, however it did not receive the majority vote needed to move on to the consideration stage.
The goal of the proposed law was to replace the Republic of The Gambia’s 1997 constitution with a new one. Minister Jallow urged MPs to approve the bill during the second reading, highlighting that it had been consulted with leaders of political parties and was meant to represent a contemporary framework for governance.
Members of the Assembly strongly opposed the bill in spite of the minister’s argument. The draft, according to a number of parliamentarians, did not sufficiently represent the goals of the Gambian people. Others said that there was insufficient public participation throughout the process that produced the draft, with some MPs claiming that their constituents specifically requested that they vote against the law.
35 members voted in favor, 21 opposed, and one abstained after a contentious debate. The result did not meet the two-thirds majority needed to move the bill forward.
Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the Speaker of the National Assembly, acknowledged in his concluding remarks that the bill had failed the second reading. The Republic of The Gambia’s draft promulgation bill 2024 constitution has not yet reached the second reading, which is the constitutional threshold for passage. and won’t go any farther,” he declared.
A major turning point in The Gambia’s ongoing democratic transition, the rejection of the proposed constitution highlights enduring disagreements over constitutional reform and the course of national administration.
