I am sick of the assertions that speaking in vernacular languages dominantly spoken in the Gambia in the National Assembly would rather have deliberations with a heart understanding and not a rhetoric understanding. 

The South African Parliament use their national language(s). In Senegal, indigenous languages are spoken in parliament, and in Tanzania use their language. 

When East Africans see a black African speak Swahili, they get surprised. What is the problem with the Gambia and Gambians’ mental colonisation not valuing their mother tongue languages? 

We talk in the English Language while thinking in our vernacular languages. This significantly impacts our understanding of the polities by understanding our languages.

The use of vernacular languages in the Gambian National Assembly should be encouraged. A widespread concern is expressed overusing the English  Language in the National Assembly. 

However, the silent majority of Gambians laments that many parliamentarians have not been able to participate meaningfully in parliamentary debates due to the barriers to using a Foreign Language. 

Let us begin constitutional amendments that allow our parliamentarians to express themselves in their vernacular languages. 

Nevertheless, they must still have a minimum qualification to be in Parliament. Many world leaders cannot utter a word in English, but they are great leaders. 

Parliamentarians can use translators using headphones for easy parliamentary deliberations and communications.

It appears that there is a consensus amongst Gambian voters that lawmakers should be freed from the bondage of using the English Language as the official language in the National Assembly. 

And voters are asking for a constitutional amendment to replace the Queen’s Language with Mother tongues languages spoken in the Gambia to improve the quality of deliberations and participation in parliamentary debates in the House as being agitated by some concerned Gambians and democracy enthusiasts.

The use of the English Language in the National Assembly is a constitutional matter. If members feel limited by it, the law can be amended to suit the Gambian people’s aspirations and wishes. 

However, the usage of the Mother tongue language is essential. It has to be considered because constituents will check what their National Assembly members say. 

It is required for the National Assembly members (NAMs) to speak and read and write in the English  Language to follow and participate in parliamentary proceedings. 

Therefore, parliamentary candidates should be  English proficient. A member of Parliament should be able to comprehend, speak, read and write the English Language well enough to take part in all the proceedings of Parliament. 

The deteriorating quality of parliamentary deliberations results from a language barrier in their considered view. The majority of the National Assembly members are barely educated and cannot contribute and comprehend what is discussed in the National Assembly.

However, since independence, the Gambia has witnessed some MPs struggle to speak English, and others actively fail to participate in parliamentary deliberations. 

On record, some parliamentarians had sent funny stitches of laughter in the hallowed chambers when they inadvertently said cars on some road ‘capsize’ instead of overturning. 

Others faced severe criticism against gender-fair language with the problematic case of gender-neutral pronouns. In addition, some MPs do not participate in the debates in every parliamentary term and virtually only warm-up benches for the five years, probably due to the language barrier.

Some National Assembly members who spoke improper English in the House saw audio clips of their voices go viral on social media, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, attracting ridicule from the general populace. 

It is such ridicule, some quarters argue, that makes National Assembly members with English language deficiencies not participate in deliberations. The issue of language in the National Assembly is one of the challenges affecting adequate and effective deliberations in the August House. 

Moreover, the English Language requirement as a medium of deliberations and communications in parliament is a limiting factor to meaningful participation for most National Assembly members.

It is time to advocate the use of vernacular for parliamentary debates to narrow the gap that exists between policymakers and communities on the ground, and advocacy for the use of vernacular language in the National Assembly ultimately is meant for constituents to benefit from its quest for social-economic growth between member states’ policymakers and implementers. 

In addition, The National Assembly needs to change the Standing Orders with lawmakers to consider conducting their debates in all national languages spoken in the Gambia for adequate deliberations and communication. 

All policy documents and deliberations are done in English. Nevertheless, a few of them cannot analyze and translate into practice and usage to the public, most of whom do not understand due to illiteracy.

National Assembly started conducting deliberations in vernacular for voters in rural areas where most Parliamentarians operate from. As a result, the use of vernacular has taken ground in the Senegalese National Assembly.

For instance, in Senegal, where the official language is French, MPs can use vernacular during proceedings provided that adequate provision is made for translation. 

In the South African Parliament, debates are conducted in Afrikaans, English, Venda, and Zulu, depending on a politician’s flexibility with the language. 

The decision was made to improve the quality of debates in Parliament after many people on social media in that country reasoned that some MPs with great ideas refrained from the debates due to language barriers. 

To this effect, Gambian National Assembly members should buy the idea of using vernacular as a medium of communication in the August house’s deliberations.

Much as it would be better for MPs, who cannot effectively express themselves in the Queen’s Language, and for the constituents who do not understand English to follow the events in the National Assembly well enough, there should be no limiting factors to such a proposal. 

Most documents such as bills and other government policies are prepared in English, and all documents can be translated. A government and a  country can do that. Since the Gambia adopted English as an official language, vernacular languages are not recommended in most official meetings. However, generally, participants tend to switch between English and vernacular.

Fatoumatta: We called on the Government and relevant stakeholders for constitutional amendments in the constitution. 

As a result, the National Assembly amended its Standing Others on National Assembly to allow vernacular to ensure that people’s views are taken on board. 

It has been observed that some parliamentarians with great ideas refrain from the debates due to the language barrier. It has also been observed that the use of the English Language at an early age in childhood is detrimental to preserving mother languages.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow