By: Mariama Njie& Landing Colley
APRC’s lawmaker, Kaddy Camara has told UDP lawmakers on Monday that they are better than UDP National Assembly Members. This remarks emerged as debate started on a Bill that seeks to free elected local government officials from the clutches of their parties.
Meanwhile the UDP lawmakers against the Bill.
Kaddy Camara NAM for Foni Bondali said in an indirect shot to UDP NAMs that started with addressing the accusing finger pointing to her party as she said “I want to begin with, that we the APRC brought all these bad laws here and you (UDP) people are now following our bad laws? Then we’re better than you people.”
She reiterated again “If you say that we brought all these bad laws here and you want to follow those bad laws, then we are better than you people. Madam speaker, as the saying goes, who laughs last laughs the best. Then we APRC laugh the best now.”
Madam speaker, I am 100 percent in support of this Bill because I made consultation with my councillors and they’re all in support of this Bill, she said.
She explained that she was elected by her people to represent them. “Our councillors are also elected by their people to represent them at the councils. If they don’t have their freedom, and if they don’t have their independence, how would they represent them in the council? We untied ourselves here, we don’t want to untie others,” she said.
UDP NAMs alone on Monday left behind members of PDOIS, APRC, PPP, NRP, GDC, UDP-cum-independents and nominated members and pushed forward the cancelling of a portion of the Local Government Act that says an elected local government official shall cease to be a member of a council if his party sack him or her.
UDP and Brikama Area Council chairman Sheriffo Sonko has been trapped in a bitter war with the party hell-bent on pushing him out of the door as chairman of BAC.
UDP sacked Mr. Sonko for the second time last week after its (UDP) initial decision fell on stony ground. The party relied on the current Local Government Act which says the elected official would automatically cease to be chairman and fresh elections be held.
It prompted Lower Baddibu MP Alhagie Jawara to move a motion for the Act to be amended in order to provide protection for an elected local government official in future.
A huge commotion broke out on Monday morning as UDP NAMs insisted that the bill should not be entertained which prompted the Speaker to suspend sitting.
The session returned in the afternoon with the Speaker passing a ruling that a debate takes place.
The debate began with NAMs of almost all the parties insisting that the Bill be passed since it seeks to protect the power of the people.
