The Gambian parliament on Tuesday scrapped the constitutional age limit on presidential election candidates after new President Adama Barrow faced questions over his deputy's eligibility due to her age.
Anyone over 65 has been barred from running for The Gambia's highest office under a constitutional amendment that came into force in the west African country in 1997.
The new change comes after Barrow -- who took office on February 18 after 22 years of iron-fisted rule by his predecessor Yahya Jammeh -- faced criticism over his decision to nominate 68-year-old Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang as his vice president.
According to the constitution, the vice president must fulfil the qualifications required for a president -- which made Tambajang overage.
Tambajang was last week named women's minister instead, with a mandate to oversee the vice-presidency.
The constitutional change adopted by parliament Tuesday will have to be approved by Barrow to enter into force -- a move that would allow him to name Tambajang officially to the vice-presidency again, according to observers.
Lawmakers also voted to lift the retirement age of judges by five years to 75.
Interior Minister Mai Fatty defended the changes, saying: "It is envisaged that this will facilitate and encourage qualified, competent and experienced Gambians to be appointed as judges of the superior courts or be elected to political office."
The national assembly remains dominated by Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party.
The former strongman went into exile in Equatorial Guinea after finally ceding power to Barrow following intense international political and military pressure.
AFP
Yaw Sakyi's Comment: ...
ReplyDeleteOK OOOOOOOO, THIS IS THE BEGINING OF DICTATORSHIP!!!!! WHEN PRESIDENT YAHYA JAMMEH WAS GIVEN EMERGENCY POWERS BY THE GAMBIAN PARLIAMENT TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE GAMBIA AND ALSO TO RULE FOR ADDITIONAL 90 DAYS, USELESS SENEGAL AND THEIR BOGUS ECOWAS DISRESPECTED THE GAMBIAN LAWS AND ENTERED GAMBIA TO FIGHT JAMMEH.
TODAY, THIS USELESS PUPPET ADAMA BARROW HAS JUST CHANGED THE LAWS BECAUSE HIS VICE PRESIDENT IS UNQUALIFIED TO BE VICE PRESIDENT AND THEY WANT TO FORCE HER ON GAMBIANS BY CHANGING THE LAWS TO SUITE THEIR OWN SELFISH AMBITIONS.
THIS IS A COMPLETE ANIMAL FARM! !!!!!!
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT IT WON'T BE LONG AND GAMBIANS WILL MISS YAHYA JAMMEH AFTER THEY HAVE CHASED USELESS ADAMA BARROW FROM THE GAMBIA BACK INTO EXILE IN SENEGAL! !!!!!
It was not necessary to change the constitution to accommodate an individual who was not qualified because age limit. It was not necessary to appoint that Vice President in the first place.
DeleteHowever the United States Congress amended their rule to accommodate Trump's Secretary of State. So, let's give Adamma Barrow a pass this time.