By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Only two out of three political parties submitted their nomination forms to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on the first day of nominations for the National Assembly elections which started on 5th March 2022. The three parties scheduled to submit their nomination forms are the Alliance for National Re-orientation and Development (ANRD), All People’s Party (APP) and Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC). However, only APP and APRC submitted their nomination forms to the IEC. ANRD Submits No Nomination Forms to IEC In an exclusive interview with Gainako, ANRD Admin Secretary, Mr Momodou Jallow, revealed…
Author: Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor, commonly known as Flex Dan is an editor and practising journalist based in the Gambia with a keen interest in human rights, the economy and good governance among many others. He continues to break news on the economy, human rights violations and is highly engaged in security sector reforms, constitutional reform and the transition of the Gambia from dictatorship to a democracy, the NewGambia. Yusef has been working with Gainako as a media practitioner from 2015 to date. He has a degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of Design Consultancy experience.
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT According to the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Vice Chairperson, Mr Joseph Colley the National Assembly’s nominations process will be different from the 4th December 2021 Presidential Elections. It can be recalled that in the aftermath of the nomination process for the Presidential Elections, Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) and Citizens’ Alliance (CA) both defeated the IEC in court for being disqualified for the Presidential Elections. Speaking to Gambian Talents Promotion on the 5th of March 2022 at IEC’s Kanifing Regional Office, Mr Colley who doubles as the Returning Officer for Kanifing says that the “Presidential Elections has…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has urged aspirants for the upcoming Parliamentary Elections to submit more than the required number of nomination signatures to avoid being disqualified after the vetting process. This was announced by the IEC’s Communications Director Mr Makan Khan during the Commission’s briefing with the press on 2nd March 2022. The IEC requires aspirants to submit at least 300 nomination signatures to qualify for the Parliamentary Elections. According to the IEC’s Summary of Requirement for Membership of the National Assembly, “ a candidate shall be nominated by not less than three hundred voters…
Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly failed to get at least 42 National Assembly Members (NAMs) in attendance on Monday 21st February 2022 for voting to proceed on the Second Reading of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Last week on Thursday 17th February 2022 only 35 NAMs were in attendance which was less than the required threshold for voting to proceed. This led the Speaker to postpone the voting on the Second Reading to 21st February 2022, however, there were only 34 NAMs in attendance forcing the Speaker to rule that the Bill has been negatived [i.e., removed from…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly’s Business Committee (ABC) has suspended eleven (11) Agenda items from the National Assembly’s original agenda dated 7th January 2022. According to the Speaker’s Communication, the ABC’s decision to suspend the Justice Minister’s Bill was to sanction him for failing to attend a National Assembly sitting on 8th February 2022. However, the eleven agenda items include crucial Bills such as the Anti-Corruption Bill 2019 which is crucial in combating corruption and the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Bill which is important for the transitional justice process. The Hon Attorney General and Minister of…
By Yusef Taylor and Binta S. Jawo The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 tabled on Thursday 17th February 2022 for its second reading was adjourned to Monday 21st February 2022. The Bill which aims to enlarge the composition of the National Assembly with sixteen (16) reserved seats for Women and Persons with Disabilities was postponed due to insufficient National Assembly Members (NAMs) in attendance for voting to commence. According to provision 226 (2) (b) of the Gambia’s 1997 Constitution, a Bill shall only pass if it “is supported on the second and third readings by the votes of not less than…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) held a stakeholder meeting with Gambian Civil Society Leaders and the Media on Tuesday 15th February 2022 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre. The meeting was an opportunity for Gambian CSOs and the Media to review and make contributions towards a code of conduct for peaceful National Assembly Elections in the Gambia. Parliamentary Elections will take place in the Gambia on April 9th 2022 when some 53 National Assembly members (NAMs) will be elected from 53 Constituencies. After the election, the President will…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly Business Committee (ABC) has suspended seven (7) Bills emanating from the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dawda Jallow after failing to appear for a scheduled National Assembly sitting on 8th February 2022. The decision was made on 14th February 2022 after the Minister of Justice apologised in writing and in person for failing to appear before the Assembly. After the Speaker’s communication outlined the ABC’s decision to suspend the Hon Justice Minister’s Bills, the Hon Member of Serrekunda, Hon Halifa Sallah asked the Speaker to clarify if the ABC’s decision was final…
Transcribed by Yusef Taylor The Speaker of the House demanded that the Minister of Justice submits a written apology to the Assembly for failing to appear before the National Assembly on 8th February 2022. The Hon Justice Minister duly obliged and submitted both a written apology and an oral apology to the National Assembly on Monday 14th February 2022. In the Speaker’s statement, she highlighted that all the Justice Minister’s Bills were removed from the National Assembly’s agenda. Below is a link to the National Assembly sitting in the video link below, the statements of the Speaker of the House…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly Public Petitions Standing Committee [the Committee] held an open forum to sensitise the public on the procedures of the Committee on Saturday 12th February 2022 at Baobab Hotel in Bijilo. Since the formation of the Committee, they have looked into three petitions including the Gambia Tourism Board petition, the Wulli Cattle Rustling petition and another petition concerning Gambians stranded in the United Arab Emirates. The engagement which aims to popularise the Committee’s activities is supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. During the public engagement, our reporter questioned the Committee to explain…