Bundung Ka Kunda MP has lashed out at fellow lawmakers who voted against the draft constitution bill, calling them “selfish” for serving President Adama Barrow’s interest against the general aspirations of Gambians.

The draft constitution faced a fatal blow at the National Assembly after 23 of 53 lawmakers voted against the bill which attracted much criticism among Gambians both home and abroad.

Bakary Njie described the actions of his fellow lawmakers who rejected the bill as “betrayal” to the nation. 

 “I was very disappointed with some of my colleagues who voted against a document which is very important that could have usher the third Republic which we are all yearning for, but unfortunately few of our colleagues who are the minority who are looking for their own interest and also to serve the interest of the president,” Mr Njie said. 

“The 23 NAMs who voted against the draft, none of them consulted their people, they have betrayed their people and the nation as well. I know that if they consulted their people I am sure that they will not vote against it.

“If you look at it, they voted against it because there is only one clock that says the president’s first term should not be counted in the two-term limit.”

He added: “The CRC commission members have gone throughout the country to consult the Gambian people about this new draft constitution spending D116 million with all that only few NAMs say no to that. 

“This meant that we are now continuing with the 1997 Constitution, and they themselves have been complaining bitterly about that constitution, and now they want us to continue with that because it does not favour President Barrow.”

The lawmaker reacted to criticisms that the draft constitution favours the opposition United Democratic Party more than the 1997 Constitution as “completely wrong”

“We the UDP NAMS in fact should vote against this new constitution because the 1997 Constitution that favours us in terms of elections than this new one, because the new constitution can lead us to second round, and we know that the old constitution we can win the elections very easily without going for the second round.”

According to him, if the UDP looked at the interest of their party that they would not have voted in support of the new draft constitution, adding “but we are looking at the interest of the Gambian people.”

“I am calling on all Gambians to come together in 2021 to remove President Barrow and his NAMs and replace them with people who they have trust in and can represent them better so that the new government can reintroduce the draft constitution,” he said.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba