President Adama Barrow has given ground in the row over the Gambia’s draft constitution as he announced a timetable for presenting it to the National Assembly.

The president said on Thursday that the draft constitution will be submitted to parliament in August before being put to the Gambian people in a referendum. 

Critics have accused President Barrow of “executive excess” for delaying the submission of the draft constitution to the National Assembly and for “not gazetting” it. 

“The Ministry of Justice will publish the national document in the Gazette before the end of May 2020, before it is subsequently presented to the National Assembly in August 2020,” State House said in a press statement.

It added: “The Office of the President therefore assures the pubic that the due processes will be followed in strengthening our democracy.”

The draft constitution was submitted to President Adama Barrow in March but it was reported that the president was “not happy” with a clause in the constitution that will bar him from seeking a new term if he is re-elected in 2021.