By Kebba Ansu Manneh
As the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) sits around the country to seek recommendations from citizens on a new constitution for the Third Republic, scores of Gambians have called for a two-terms limit for presidents to serve in office.
Mr. Yankuba Faal, a Senior Secondary School Teacher in Essau, argued the new constitution should set a term limit for presidency. He said that two five-year term is enough for any future Gambian president.
According to him, the greatest problem for African countries is presidents overstaying in office. He said this problem of leaders perpetuating themselves in power can only be solved by introducing terms limit in the new Gambian constitution. He added that a term limit will also motivate future presidents to be more focus on their jobs and discouraged them from self-perpetuating rule in The Gambia.
Mr. Faal was speaking to The Times in Essau on the sidelines of the national consultation meetings of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) on Wednesday 7 November 2018. He said, “there should be a term limit for presidency in the new constitution, this should be a two five-year terms. I believed once we have that, we will end self-perpetuating rule in The Gambia.”
The senior secondary school teacher said it’s about time for The Gambia to practice good democratic values that will promote the rule of law, human rights and good governance.
He said the CRC has given them the opportunity to participate in the process and to make recommendations for crafting a great governing law that will be a people-centered constitution.
Speaking on the educational requirement for elected members, Mr. Faal said aspiring presidential candidates should have completed at least a senior secondary school education. He added that the most important thing is for the president to have a strong body of experts and technocrats to guide him/her in the execution of their job. In elaborating, he said “I don’t see the need for a higher qualification for a president, and I believed a senior secondary school certificate is sufficient for a qualification for anyone vying for presidency, National Assembly seat and councillorship.”
Also speaking to The Times, Sisawo Jatta, a native of Albreda in Upper Nuimi District, said any future Gambian president should not serve beyond ten years. Mr. Jatta argued that presidents staying in office more than they are welcomed is a recipe for failure which leads to dictatorship. He said that The Gambia can emulate the best practices of presidential term limit from advanced democracies by incorporating it into the new constitution.
“Term limit will help our future leaders to perform better before their mandates expired in the absence of which we shall be building dictatorship in the country,” Jatta told The Times. Mr. Jatta said young people with sound intellectual and academic qualifications should be encouraged to vie for public office. He called for the same standard to apply to the national assembly members and councilors.
“My take is ten years for any elective public office including the president, national assembly and councillorship. I also belief that a university qualification at the level of bachelors should be the benchmark for one to run for these positions,” Mr.Jatta argued.
Alasan Jome, a 75 years old farmer from Kerr Njorr, who travelled about 10km to attend the national consultation meetings said a two five-year term limits should be the benchmark for any future Gambian president.
According to him, before anyone could contest for any elective public office one must at least get a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. He argued that the lack of adequate education for public officials could cost the country a lot as they can be misled by technocrats in the execution of their duties. Mr. Jome added that any aspiring candidate for public office must be required to declare his/her asset before they can be allowed to contest. Such persons, he argued, must be audited after they leave office.