{"id":81676,"date":"2025-07-09T16:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T16:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/national-assembly-rejects-diaspora-voting-motion"},"modified":"2025-07-09T17:09:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T17:09:44","slug":"national-assembly-rejects-diaspora-voting-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/national-assembly-rejects-diaspora-voting-motion","title":{"rendered":"National Assembly Rejects Diaspora Voting Motion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The National Assembly on Monday voted to reject a motion brought forward by Hon. Lamin Ceesay, the National Assembly Member for Kiang West, seeking to revisit an earlier decision that removed a key provision related to diaspora voting from the country\u2019s draft elections bill.<\/b><\/p>\n

The motion, which aimed to rescind the deletion of Clause 14\u2014a provision that would have guaranteed voting rights to Gambians living abroad\u2014garnered the support of only 16 lawmakers, while 21 voted against it.<\/p>\n

In presenting the motion, Hon. Ceesay said he had written to the Speaker of the Assembly on March 25, 2025, requesting permission to move a motion in line with Order 29.3 of the Standing Orders, which allows members to seek reconsideration of decisions made by the committee of the whole house.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonorable Speaker, in accordance with order 29.3 of the standing orders, I write a notice to your office to grant me leave to move a motion to rescind the decision of the committee of the whole house on the recent decision to delete clause 14 from the election bill. I believe that this provision is crucial for fostering stability within our political landscape and demonstrating to our citizens that despite our political differences, we are committed to serving the public,\u201d Ceesay told the Assembly.<\/p>\n

He argued that the decision to eliminate diaspora voting was made by the committee of the whole and could therefore be revisited under parliamentary rules. He cited multiple constitutional provisions\u2014particularly Sections 100(2)(b), 226(1)(a) and (b), and Section 39(1)\u2014to support his claim that the legislature has both the power and responsibility to enact laws ensuring inclusive participation in national elections.<\/p>\n

Ceesay also referenced a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the voting rights of Gambians living abroad, noting the court\u2019s interpretation of Section 127(1)(a) and (b), which gives it the authority to assess the constitutionality of legislative decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonorable Speaker, Section 127.1A and B grants the Supreme Court the authority to address questions regarding whether a law has exceeded the powers defined by the constitution or any other laws applicable to the National Assembly, individuals, or authorities. These provisions underscore the importance of balancing powers and adhering strictly to the constitutional guidelines,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He cited a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the right of Gambians abroad to register for public elections, while also emphasizing its broader implications.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs stated in Section 39 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia, this ruling not only safeguards the democratic rights of our citizens but also guides the Gambians but also compels us to consider how to effectively involve them in our election process,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonorable Speaker, with these significant factors, it is essential for the assembly to rescind our decision and take steps to ensure compliance with the constitutional mandates that guarantee the rights of the Gambians living abroad, regardless of their allocation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

However, in his ruling on the motion, Speaker of the National Assembly Seedy S.K. Njie questioned the procedural validity of the request. He noted that the motion was brought under Order 29.3, which prohibits reconsideration of decisions already taken during the same session, except through a properly noticed motion to rescind.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonorable Members, having listened to his motion, he is dealing with matters taken at the consideration stage. If that is so and that is the case with these motions, probably it is not relevant under clause 29.3, and I think if it was because this was a consideration stage decision, a committed decision, not the whole Assembly. Therefore, it is my belief that motions of such nature or such intent can be taken during the consideration stage,\u201d the Speaker said.<\/p>\n

The debate that followed reflected sharp divisions among members, but ultimately the Assembly rejected the motion, maintaining the removal of the diaspora voting clause.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Assembly on Monday voted to reject a motion brought forward by Hon. Lamin Ceesay, the National Assembly Member for Kiang West, seeking to revisit an earlier decision that removed a key provision related to diaspora voting from the country\u2019s draft elections bill. The motion, which aimed to rescind the deletion […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":81675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-81676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nNational Assembly Rejects Diaspora Voting Motion - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The National Assembly on Monday voted to reject a motion brought forward by Hon. 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