Africa-Press – Gambia. Yahya Menteng Sanyang, the National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji and former UDP lawmaker—now aligned with the Unite Movement for Change—has described the National Assembly as weak and heavily influenced by partisan interests.
Speaking in a recent television interview, Sanyang said the legislature often fails to build consensus because members prioritize party agendas over the national interest.
“We have a very weak National Assembly. What happens behind the scenes are partisan tricks on governance. And all political organizations in the National Assembly are guilty of this—the UDP, the NPP, the independents, everybody,” he said.
According to him, lawmakers frequently assess legislation based on political advantage rather than its real impact on ordinary Gambians. “Every politician wants to protect their interest in a bill, and that delays the process. But noncontroversial bills—within the blink of an eye—they are passed,” he added.
Commenting on the relationship between the legislature and the presidency, Sanyang stressed that the Office of the President cannot provide resources to the National Assembly because its own funding is determined by the legislature.
“Everything in the budget must be passed by the National Assembly—allowances, luxuries, everything allocated to the Office of the President is what we approve. So the president cannot give us anything because he doesn’t have it,” he said.
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