By Lamin Njie
Halifa Sallah’s suggestion for the extension of the state of emergency declared by President Adama Barrow to be passed to the National Assembly’s committee on human rights and constitutional matters has won popular support.
Things got tense and rowdy at the National Assembly today after the attorney general and minister of justice Abubacarr Tambadou went there to seek for an extension of President Barrow’s state of emergency declaration. Mr Tambadou was looking to strike a deal that will last for 90 days.
The session which started at 10am however saw the national assembly for Serrekunda Halifa Sallah suggesting the House’s committee on human rights and constitutional matters interrogate the proclamation before the House could approve or otherwise the attorney general’s request.
The suggestion sparked tension and complete disorder with one NAM venting at the speaker that she was ‘jumping’ to voting when everything wasn’t ‘clear’.
In the end, the suggestion was put to a vote with 36 lawmakers voting for the motion while 11 voted against it.
The House’s committee on human rights and constitutional matters has now been asked to reconvene ‘immediately’ to go through the proclamations ahead of a session on Friday.
