By Yusupha Jobe
Leader of Gambia Moral Congress, GMC, has described the submitted draft Constitution as the most inclusive participatory process ever in the country’s history.
New draft Constitution is expected to go to referendum after the approval of Gambian president and the National Assembly.
Mai Ahmed Fatty said in his Facebook post: “The constitution making was the most inclusive participatory process ever in the history of our country. A document of this nature cannot satisfy all, and a Constitution is never meant or designed to serve such a purpose.”
“I read the draft Constitution many times. It is a very good document and like all Constitutions was never intended to be perfect. It matters less to me if every page including punctuation was lifted out of another country’s Constitution.”
According to him, what matters to me is relevance and substance, added that “it contains the average aspiration of the ordinary Gambians, and perhaps that may fit another society’s description elsewhere.”
He urged for more tolerant among the citizens to allow Gambians to have a final say on the draft Constitution during the Referendum because no person have the legal authority to arrogate to him or herself the jurisdiction to pass in the draft Constitution without the approval of all citizens.
“Can we all move on and allow Gambians to render a verdict at a Referendum? No one has the intellectual, legal or moral authority to arrogate to him or herself the jurisdiction to pass a sentence in the draft Constitution either on the process or its conclusion on our behalf.
That authority is non-transferable. That is the exclusive province of us the people and not some self-anointed saints of the law, he said.
He also commended Justice Sulayman Jallow and team for a good job.
