BY ALMAMO KAMASO
Members of the National Assembly on the 22nd September 2020 killed the 2020 draft Constitution Bill prematurely at the second reading stage of the process to a full blown Constitution..
Twenty-three members voted NO to the Bill, making the ¾ members of the whole House requirement to fall short; Whiles 31 members voted YES to the 2020 draft Constitution.
The thirty-one members that voted in for the draft, comprises of the twenty-three (23) members of the UDP, three members from PDOIS, Nominated Hon Momodou L Sanneh, Nominated Hon Yakumba Jaiteh, two (2) GDC members , and Nominated Hon Ndey Yassin Secka.
The twenty-three that voted NO to the draft , comprises of ; Five from NRP, five from APRC, one from PPP, eight expelled members from UDP, now Independent, one elected Independent member for Basse, one Nominated Member Hon Majanko Samusa, and two from GDC (From Jara Central and Jokado constituencies, with one invalid vote.
Responding to concerns, and questions raised by up to 49 interventions from 49 members of the National Assembly during the debates on the merits and principles of the 2020 draft Constitution, the Justice Minister Dawda Jallow, rounding up his answers told members that the matter is now in their hands as Members of the National Assembly (NAMs) either to agree to the draft , and we move to the next stage, or disagree and kill the Bill here and then.
Jallow told members that if we have a yes vote, then the CRC can make more clarifications at committee level as per the CRC ACT, and that will give room for changes on the draft. He went further to explain that such changes on the draft can only now be effected by Justice Ministry and not CRC.
“There is a second bite, whether we change or not, before we go to a referendum, there must be 3/4 requirement” Justice Minister Jallow said.
