By Lamin Njie
The extension of the state of public emergency by 45 days failed to get enough votes on Saturday, sparking uncertainty around steps the Barrow administration would take in stopping the spread of coronavirus.
Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou on Saturday asked the country’s lawmakers to extend the state of public emergency which ends on Monday by 45 days.
But after hours of debate, the request failed to get enough votes. The final vote tally was 23-25, well short of the 42 votes needed.
It came as Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou restated to the lawmakers his initial stance that the coronavirus crisis is matter of ‘survival first and not about individual preferences’.
Justice Minister Tambadou had earlier told the lawmakers: “There is no doubt that the coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-19 continues to pose a clear and present danger to The Gambia and remains deadly.
“So the government needs to continue taking that will, among other things, break the chain of transmission in order to prevent a further spread of the virus and concurrently alleviate the consequent hardship that all of us may face.
“The government is aware that the measures which may be imposed as a result of this extension will affect our lives but like I said the last time I appeared before this August Assembly on this subject matter, this is now a matter of survival first and not about individual preferences.”
The vote has however failed for now and the lawmakers would return to the House on Monday when the current state of emergency would expire.
The Fatu Network understand the government would try to squeeze through a last-minute deal.
