By Binta Jaiteh
Muhammed Kanteh, an Independent lawmaker for the Busumbala constituency has accused the Speaker of the National Assembly of betraying his political father.
He made these remarks during the adjournment debate saying the Speaker obtained the seat with Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) and playing dirty politics between the United Democratic Party and President Adama Barrow National People’s Party
“It will be appropriate for someone to call you that rather than calling me a man with a so-called legal background, what qualification you have to be a Speaker apart from playing dirty politics between the United Democratic Party and President Adama Barrow?”, Hon. Kanteh asked Speaker Jatta.
Hon Kanteh also responded to the Speaker reminding him of the standing order 29 )(4) which reads that “ it shall be out of order to use offensive and insulting language about a member of the assembly.”
He also told the Speaker that he went to the University of the Gambia to obtain his degree in law and proceeded to law school and was subsequently called to the Bar of this country.
However, he argued that it is unfortunate for Gambians to have a speaker with low qualifications immediately Kebba Lang Fofana nominated a member who raised a point on the same order which stated that “no offensive language should be used on members.”
Meanwhile, According to the Speaker, Kanteh’s response is against him but he agreed that the member has gone to the extreme, and it affects him. But Hon. Kanteh responded again saying respect is reciprocal and the speaker cannot downgrade his qualification, adding he is not attacking him but his qualification.
However FTJ noted that so-called legal background is not an insult, it only reflects something that you did at the time, and argued that men who have a law degree achieved matters and also called to the bar not understanding the standing orders of the country much more than the Constitution of the Gambia.
“I had on several occasions that personalities don’t count in the assembly. Let us try to go by the standing order that you relied on,” the speaker said.
