By Lamin Njie
President Adama Barrow insisted ‘I cannot accord the coalition agreement preference over the constitution’, addressing calls for him to resign by the start of 2020, for the second time in two weeks.
In his New Year message, Mr Barrow said ‘I swore twice by the Holy Quran in Dakar and in The Gambia to defend and act according to the national constitution’.
“Under these circumstances, I cannot accord the coalition agreement preference over the constitution,” the president said as he addressed calls for him to resign according to an understanding that ensured his presidency.
President Barrow in 2016 was backed by seven political parties after agreeing to preside over a three-year transitional government. He has changed his mind now saying he will serve a full five-year term. His U-turn has led to the forming of a pressure group, Three Years Jotna, and the group earlier this month staged a protest to demand that he resigns.
The president first reaction to the protest on QTV’s Kacha Dula where he said he won’t resign.
In his New Year speech on Tuesday, Mr Barrow doubled down on his decision to stay on until 2021.
“The desire to dislogde the dictatorship by all democratic means guided us in the development of the coalition agreement. After I took up office, the gravity of the institutional failures, abuse of office, human rights (sic) and bad governance became more apparent.
“Thus the need to fulfilling the coalition agreement and acting on the constitution I swore to uphold, the confidence and mandate entrusted upon me have subsequently guided my decision to respect the voice and will of the people by maintaining to serve the full constitutional mandate of five years,” the president said.
