By Binta Jaiteh
The Clerk of the National Assembly has assured the commitment of the House towards providing the best parliamentary services to its citizens.
‘I am deeply delighted as Clerk of the National Assembly to welcome all of you to this maiden edition of the National Assembly Open Day. Today is symbolic and significant in that for the first time in the annals of our history, the National Assembly has taken some concrete steps to bringing the Legislature closer to the people,” the clerk said in a statement.
“Today’s event comes on the heels of robust reforms in the National Assembly Service instituted by my administration. Reforms, which do not only enhance effective service delivery, but also offers sound technical advice and guidance to the legislature. It is the results of these collective efforts that culminated into the passing of the National Assembly Service Act, 2021, which guarantees financial and operational independence to this important organ of the State.
“It is obvious that Parliaments are fundamental institutions of democratic governance. Effective parliaments contribute to the rule of law, economic prosperity, and improved social welfare of a country. It is in recognition of this reality and aware of the need to support the National Assembly of The Gambia in its commitment towards providing the best parliamentary services to its citizens, that we partnered with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) to organise this important convergence,” the Clerk disclosed.
“This National Assembly Open Day therefore demonstrates the commitment of the Legislature in being a more open and accessible institution to the public. It also further denotes an improvement in service delivery by the National Assembly and the promotion of citizen engagement. We are aware that for many ordinary citizens and residents of this country, the National Assembly and politics are abstract notions that many only considered briefly during general election period. Not many people cared much for what was going on in the Assembly even though many life-changing laws and initiatives were made here.
“We sincerely hope that after today’s event, you will know more about how the Legislature evolved over the past 50 years, the leaders who guided our nation before, during and after independence and we also hope that you will gain some basic knowledge about the National Assembly operations and the core principles it stands for,” he expressed optimistic.
