Gambian activist hails draft constitution
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) – Madi Jobarteh, one of the leading human rights activists in the Gambia, on Wednesday hailed the country’s newly-drafted constitution while canvassing for a “yes vote” ahead of an expected referendum which should have followed shortly after its finalization but for Coronavirus.
“Let me begin my ‘YES Campaign’ from this moment to say ‘Let us join together to vote YES in the referendum,’ Mr. Jobarteh wrote in his Facebook wall while reacting to the submission of the draft constitution to President Adama Barrow by the Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC) on Monday.
“This draft constitution is one of the most explicit, innovative and progressive constitutions in the world for which I will not hesitate to vote YES in the forthcoming referendum,” he said.
“Having upheld and guaranteed the Gambia as a democratic republic, the draft went further to set up series of new accountability institutions, enhanced processes with effective checks and balances and expanded citizen rights on one hand and State obligations on the other hand.”
Furthermore, he said, the draft opened most chapters with general principles and standards to define relationships, obligations, terms and functions of institutions, authorities and persons in charge of those institutions.
This, he continues, is quite innovative and necessary so as to inform and guide at the first instance the expectations of citizens about those institutions and the overall goal of those institutions themselves.
“This will help to remove ambiguities as well as empower citizens to understand what these institutions are for and how to engage them.
Not only has the draft constitution strongly guaranteed our civil and political rights but it went further to also guarantee our social and economic rights. Without social and economic rights then our civil and political rights are meaningless and vice verse.”
“For example, after we enjoy our freedom of expression and the right to vote and to protest if we cannot at the same time make sure we enjoy the right to food, housing and healthcare as well as education or electricity and employment among other social and economic rights then our citizenship has no meaning,” Mr Jobarteh added.
He contended that by recognizing Gambians’ cultural rights, the draft constitution therefore enabled citizens to practice their cultures, religions and beliefs as they deem fit without harming one another.
“This allows for creativity, peace building and national unity. At the end of the day human beings are cultural beings just as they are political animals. Furthermore, the draft constitution recognizes the equality of men and women as well as the equal citizenship of persons with disabilities where sign language is recognized as part of the languages of the Gambia. The draft indeed provides for an equal and just society.”
Mr. Jobarteh therefore expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the CRC for producing a robust, positive and forward looking final draft constitution within the timeframe provided to them.
He, equally, commended President Barrow and his Justice Minister, Abubacarr Ba Tambadou for setting up the CRC and allowing the body to do its work without any interference.
“This final draft constitution is indeed an exemplary Gambian success worthy of celebration. With this final draft the Gambia has a formidable, pragmatic and clear mechanism to ensure not only good governance and sustainable development but as part of that, to also limit, if not eradicate abuse of power, corruption and inefficiency in the public sector particularly.”
“On the issue of secularity, the CRC did extremely well to strike a balance that addresses all of the issues and concerns of both sides of the secularism divide. It has therefore introduced a set of new provisions that indeed should satisfy all citizens that indeed the Gambian State protects all religions and neither favours nor discriminates any,” Jobarteh added.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 1April2020
