By Edrissa Jallow, @EdrissaJallow10
A row between the Gambia’s Vice President Dr Isatou Touray and the National Assembly member for Banjul South, Hon Fatoumatta Njai erupted on Monday 21st February 2021 minutes after the Speaker of the House Hon Mariam Jack Denton ruled that the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 will be removed from the National Assembly agenda.
The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021, referred to as the Bill aimed to; maintain the fifty-three (53) Constituencies, provide for an additional fourteen (14) seats for women National Assembly Members (NAMs), provide for an additional two (2) representatives for persons with disabilities and reduce the number of Nominated NAMs from five (5) to two (2).
Barely five minutes after Speaker Denton made her ruling a disagreement between Vice President Touray and Hon Fatoumatta Njai occurred outside the Chambers, within the National Assembly premises.
Speaking to journalists after the confrontation Hon Fatoumatta Njai explained that she “did not confront her”. According to her narration, she was telling her supporters “that the Vice President and the Speaker are female and yet this thing has been thrown out. So where do they stand for women’s rights? And then she insulted me. That was the least I expected from her as a Vice President. But I cannot be intimidated, this is my Assembly. I would not go to the executive and start abusing Cabinet members, so it is the same respect I expect from the VP”.
According to multiple witnesses, Vice President Touray accused Hon Fatoumatta Njai when she said “please stop that lie. You are lying. Who says I am not supporting this Bill? It is not true!” Vice President Touray also told supporters of the Bill not to “let anyone use this bill and politicise it for personal reasons”.
To bring some calm to the situation the Hon Member for Serrekunda, Hon Halifa Sallah managed to take a walk with Vice President Touray to calm her down. Soon after the situation was brought to a calm Vice President Touray walked into the Chambers and left the Assembly Chambers.
The Bill had suffered a lack of support as NAMs opted not to attend mandatory National Assembly sittings meaning that the voting process was suspended from Thursday 17th February 2022 to Monday 21st February 2022 when only thirty-five NAMs were in attendance. The 1997 Constitution and the National Assembly’s standing orders both require at least forty-two (42) NAMs to vote in favour of the Bill in its second and third reading.
The Bill suffered a lack of support for the second time when only thirty-four (34) NAMs were in attendance forcing Speaker Denton to eliminate the Bill from the National Assembly’s agenda. This means that the fifth legislature will not approve the Bill which will increase the representation of women and persons with disabilities in Parliament.
After the Bill was removed by the Speaker, Hon Fatoumatta Njai told Journalists that “the speaker being a female should have stood her ground to decide otherwise and give [the Bill] an opportunity for it to be considered. And we also saw the Vice President in the gallery when this was done, she is also a female but like I said, probably am beginning to believe now that we are our worst enemies”.
Vice President Touray was a renowned gender activist before taking up Political Office. However, the co-founder of GAMCOTRAP has since maintained an apparent silence on gender issues.
Refusing to give up on the Bill, Hon Fatoumatta Njai vowed to pursue the Bill if re-elected into Parliament for the second time. “Be rest assured this is not done and dusted it will come back to this Parliament, I’ll not rest until I see women fully represented, fully taking their dues in this country. The women, the youth and the disabled” she concluded.