Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has confirmed assembly with President Adama Barrow to debate the draft structure. However, he reiterated that his celebration maintains its opposition to the 2024 draft.
“Yes, it is true that we met last Tuesday. There is an agreement that the country should have a new constitution and of course, that’s what every Gambian wants. Now the disagreement is between the 2020 and the 2024 drafts. But what I will say is, for us UDP, we believe the Draft Constitution that the country spent D116 million on is the draft that should be taken to the National Assembly. If the National Assembly wants to make any amendments they can do it at the parliament and if they don’t want to amend let it be maintained like that. That’s our position,” Darboe acknowledged.
He additional questioned the exclusion of the 2020 draft from discussions, emphasizing that the UDP was not consulted on the 2024 draft.
“We need a constitution but not any constitution. Why is the discussion not centered on the 2020 draft? Let’s center the discussion on the 2020 draft. I want to tell Ibn Chambas that I cannot say other people were not consulted but UDP was not consulted about the 2024 draft. And a lot of people have come out to say there was no consultation. But also the 2024 draft was not given to citizens to look at.”
The closed-door assembly between President Barrow and Lawyer Ousainou Darboe befell on the State House on Tuesday afternoon and lasted for over an hour. The discussions have been facilitated by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, who has been engaged in diplomatic efforts to construct consensus on a brand new structure for The Gambia.