By Lamin Njie
Halifa Sallah on Monday raced to forbid Foday Gassama from quoting him after the nominated national assembly member attempted to use his comments to justify President Barrow’s plan to remain in office till 2021.
Foday Gassama was tapped by President Barrow to push his interest at the National Assembly following his sacking of Ya Kumba Jaiteh.
At a session at the National Assembly on Monday, Mr Gassama attempted to use Mr Sallah’s recent comments to justify President Barrow’s plan to stay in office beyond 2020.
Mr Gassama said: “My second intervention will be Three Years Jotna. I think some of my colleagues mentioned it here. They said people have a right to protest or demonstrate. That’s the reality and that’s the constitutional mandate [sic]. In any decent democratic society, people have a right… That’s why the law says, Section 25 says every person shall have the right to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of tranquility [sic], freedom of religion, freedom of belief… That’s a constitutional mandate [sic].
“But where your right ends, that’s where the other people’s right starts. Let’s put that into consideration. We have to respect the constitution. The 1997 constitution is the valid constitution of the republic of The Gambia which establishes a sovereign state under which sovereignty resides in the people. That is why Gambian people went to the polls on the 1st December 2016 by electing their president for the next five years. That also is a constitutional mandate.
“Honourable speaker, one thing I want to know, do we elect a president based on moral issue or basis of law? This is something which I don’t understand. That’s why really I concur with Honourable Sallah to say that, ‘unless you want to overthrow a government because the government of the day shall rule for five years not three years.’ That’s very important.”
Halifa Sallah then stood up and attempted to stop Mr Gassama from quoting him.
“Honourable speaker, point of order…,” Mr Sallah said but Mr Gassama rebuffed him saying: “No Honourable, I will not give you floor because I am on my feet.”
Mr Sallah then raged as the lawmakers burst into laughter: “But then don’t quote me, don’t quote me. That’s not what I’m saying. Don’t quote me.”
Mr Gassama then continued saying the idea of Three Years Jotna was a moral issue.
