Africa-Press – Gambia. Mai Ahmad Fatty, the leader for the Gambia Moral Congress (GMC), has expressed frustration over the rejection of the 2024 Draft Constitution, accusing the National Assembly Members of denying the voice of Gambians to make decisions.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the GMC leader says by rejecting the draft constitution without allowing citizens to decide through referendum, the country’s elected representatives have forgotten a fundamental truth that the constitution belongs to the people, not to politicians. “This is not about party politics. This is about principle,” he reiterated.
“The draft constitution was not perfect – no constitution ever is. But it was yours, born from your consultations, shaped by your aspirations, and designed to serve your future. Parliament’s role was to facilitate your choice, not to make it for you,” he noted.
According to him, when legislators substitute their judgment for popular sovereignty on constitutional matters, they wound democracy itself, adding that on Monday, that wound was inflicted deliberately.
Mai Fatty stated that he supported the bill because he believed in citizens’ wisdom to govern themselves. He maintained that he trusted the ability of Gambians to weigh its merits and flaws, to see beyond today’s imperfections toward tomorrow’s possibilities. “That trust was betrayed—not by you, but by those who claim to represent you,” he noted.
“The art of democratic leadership is knowing when to lead and when to step aside. On constitutional questions, leaders must step aside and let the people decide. This is not weakness—it is the highest form of democratic courage,” he emphasized.
The GMC leader said the constitutional project was bigger than any single draft constitution, any parliament, or any presidency. He asserted that it was about the Gambia the children would inherit and was about ensuring that power truly belonged to the people, not just in our rhetoric but in our reality.
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