By Sulayman Waan
Musa Amul Nyassi, National Assembly member for Foni Kansala has defended himself and fellow lawmakers who voted against the draft Constitution tabled before the National Assembly by the Ministry of Justice.
He said the rejection of the draft Constitution “was done in the best interest of the nation”.
The draft Constitution was rejected by parliament as it failed to secure 45 votes of the member – as 23 lawmakers voted against the Bill leaving 31 voted in its favor.
Honorable Nyassi who voted against the Bill told The Voice in an interview that “the decision that we took on Tuesday as a Parliamentarians over the Draft Constitution was in the best interest of the nation. It was the best we could have done. It was the best decision we could have taken. So, we actually made a decision that is there to serve the interest of Gambians.”
He said the lawmakers who voted against the document never have any agreement prior going to the parliament to reject the Bill. He said they just rejected the document for the interest of the country after consulting some Gambians both at home and abroad.
He also said the Constitutional Review Commission was assigned to bring a national document for Gambians that will outweigh the 1997 Constitution but they couldn’t do that because “there is no way the Draft Constitution outweigh the 1997 Constitution.”
He said the 1997 Constitution has gone through lots of amendment which prompted Gambians demanding a new Constitution, “what Gambians were expecting is to see things that can convince them in the document so they can repeal the 1997 Constitution and replace it with the 2020 Draft Constitution.”
According to him, more than seventy percent (70%) of Gambians were in support of the rejection of the document since inception. This he justified that many Gambians both at home and abroad have been calling on various parliamentarians to reject the document.
He said even MPs who voted in favor of the draft Constitution were called by different people to vote against it which he said shows that majority of Gambians accepted their voting against it.
He said in spite of many claimed that the 1997 Constitution has numerous draconian laws “but the draft Constitution has more draconian laws than the 1997 Constitution,”
“The law that is advocating for same-sex marriage, discriminatory laws that states that fifty percent (50%) of the parliamentarians can impeach the president and the laws that states the National Assembly can interfere in work of the executive are all draconian laws,” he said.
He also said despite rejecting the Draft Constitution he is willing to vote for any Bill that is in the interest of the country, adding that even though his electorate wants to support a Bill that against national interest he will dialogue with them to change their minds.
“I am a strong advocate for two term limits. If a Bill about term limit is table in the parliament I will be among the people who will support it. If the 50+1 is also brought before us I will be there to support it; because I want a president that will be voted in by a popular majority just as we have seen in the 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011.
“So, if Gambians are advocating for us to continue the trend that started in 1996. I am a strong advocate for that,” he said.
He denied allegations that the APRC, NRP and UDP expelled parliamentarians voted against the Draft Constitution to favour President Barrow.
According to him if there is any political party that undermined the Barrow’s administration it would be his party (APRC) justifying that Gambians used President Barrow to brought down the APRC government.
