(JollofNews) – I want to respond to Mr Madi Jobarteh’s article with the title ” We need a Non-Partisan Speaker of the National Assembly “. First of all , I want to remind Mr Jobarteh that the position of speakership is an administrative one which requires political leadership, experience and knowledge about legislative body and formulation of laws in the house of representatives.
A speaker being the head of National Assembly has responsibility to ensure that there is an order and decorum which encourages substantive debate in the house. He or she also has responsibility to prescribe the oaths of office to members and to enable members have access to house floor to debate issues of national importance. The speaker as a chair of house meetings also has a duty to implement house rules and procedures as well as participate in selection of various committees within the National Assembly.
The Gambia’s constitution gives the president the power to nominate members to the National Assembly. Section 93(1) indicates that ” the speaker of the National Assembly and the deputy speaker shall be elected by the members of the Assembly from among the nominated members .”
From this constitutional provision , it is not only important for the president to nominate well qualified citizens to the National Assembly but it is also equally important for the members to elect someone with significant political leadership skills, experience and knowledge about the job description of a speakership.
The Gambia’s constitution like The United States constitution gives the power to House of Representatives to elect the speaker. In USA , the representatives of each political parties in the house such as republicans and Democrats select one member from each party and house members vote for these two select members . A select member who wins the majority support mostly from the dominant party in the house becomes the speaker . This is how speakers are selected whether the president is a Republican or a Democrat. This is evidenced by selection of Mr Paul Ryan, a republican as the current speaker who was supported by House of Representatives dominated by republicans.
The main reason of having the speakership in this democratic manner is to have smooth functioning of the house in pushing forward legislative agenda and its successful formulation of policy proposals into law . A speaker is always responsible for passing of legislative agenda supported by the majority members in the house. A speaker like any political leader must not only be an influential person but also have integrity and sense of patriotism . A speaker having a significant political influence and experience within his own party is a good thing since politics is all about convincing people to support an agenda.
This doesn’t mean that the speaker should also have 100 % support of his own party on every legislative agenda. It is noteworthy to see Mr Jobarteh idolized the power and influence of Speaker Paul Ryan in the US House of Representatives but at the same time he failed to educate readers that Mr Ryan, the current speaker is in fact elected by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives .
How can Mr Jobarteh recognized the power and influence of Mr Ryan in the US House of Representatives but failed to recognize that such power and influence can only be realized through political leadership and experience he gets from his own party? Mr Ryan’s power and influence is also determined by the support he may or may not receive from the majority members in the house. For example, recently President Trump’s healthcare legislative agenda proposal supported by Speaker Paul Ryan to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to repeal and replace President Obama’s healthcare law known as Obamacare, was defeated in the house because of a lack of Republican support. Thus, Mr Trump’s healthcare legislative agenda proposal was not supported by both Republicans and Democrats in the house. This indicates that it is important to have House of Representatives who truly care about the common interest of the people.
The suggestion by Mr Jobrateh to have a non-partisan speaker with no political leadership influence, skills, experience and, or affiliation with political parties in the house will make the job of a speaker very difficult to achieve legislative success. Since the act of legislative process involves politics, it is in the best interest of the country to have a speaker with political leadership skills, influence and experience as well as affiliation with political party especially the party with majority seats in the house .
This is because a non-partisan speaker will not have significant relationship with representatives in the National Assembly, lack knowledge about policy proposals of coalition government or political parties platform to help in successful reforms legislation. To achieve the agenda of coalition government, the position of speakership must come from the party with majority seats in the National Assembly. This will makes it easier to push forward constitutional, political and economic reforms agenda of the coalition government without delay.
The UDP has the biggest political capital and influence to make any reforms and this is why the Gambian people have overwhelmingly supported and voted for UDP candidates in the National Assembly election. We have to admit the fact that the UDP is the force to be reckoned with and it is the most important pillar of the coalition government.
Therefore in order for the country to be on the progressive path and to realize its reforms agenda , speakership must come from the UDP political party. It seem that some Gambians are still in denial or refusal to accept the fact that the UDP has the biggest political capital as evidenced by recent resounding landslide victory. I hope National Assembly members will elect the speaker from UDP leadership so that the aspirations and will of the people can be achieved during the transition period. Congratulations to all elected members of the National Assembly.
By Max Jarju
Max, I don’t think it will matter who the speaker is or their party affiliation during the life time of this Parliament because no bill can be passed without the support of UDP assembly members. Let’s just hope that all the assembly members will put the country’s interest first before party interest just like the Republicans and the Democrats did in America.
Lawyer Denton is the Speaker – another inspirational choice: Another Jammeh Victim is the Third Personality of the State. On the 1st sitting of the National Assembly, Hon Halifa Sallah, another Jammeh Victim, has put in his 1st Constitutional Objection – and got over-ruled by Chief Justice Hassan Jallow, another Jammeh Victim! No doubt Lawyer Denton will be equally firm with Hon Halifa Sallah and the much needed Constitutional Reforms will proceed at speed.
Blessings to all the NAMs, to the New Government, and to ALL my Gambian In-Laws. The Nation Must Progress in Peace and Harmony.
I think you missed the point here raised by that gentleman Madi. The political impartiality of the Speaker have to be a key feature of that office for effective function of any democratic parliament and a good thing for all electorates reps and the country. Probably it can be put in a simple sense! It is like being a white doctor who don’t discriminate [ Non-Partisan] because you black. Even if the doctor invented HIV cure or wrote all the books of medicine in Oxford does not matter if he discriminate others races in his practice. Hope it make sense now. Thanks
F-Grade for grammar, Old Boy:
“have to be” should be “HAS to be”;
“for effective function” should be “for effective functioning”;
“a good thing for all electorates reps and the country” should be “a good thing for the voters and the country”;
“put in a simple sense” should be “put simply”;
“a white doctor who don’t discrimate” should be ” a white doctor who does not discriminate”;
“does not matter” should be “IT does not matter”;
“Hope it make sense now” should be “I hope it makeS sense now”.
I hope it makes sense now? Thank you!
Dida, the terrible grammar is a damning indictment of the failure of successful governments in Gambia to prioritize teaching high standard English at our schools.
Buba, the “terrible grammar” is probably from an Englishman! They are astoundingly bad at speaking and writing in their own mother tongue.
Dida, i have met a few of those as well.
I would never criticise an African for “poor English” – most of us speak 3 or 4 langauges fluently, unlike the mono-lingual Englishman who can’t speak his own language properly (Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady: “Oh, why can’t the Englishmen speak English properly?”!)
Help them to speak correct English big full
English/English is made up of many languages;
Mainly anglo saxon, french, norse, roman latin; There are also other european; jewish and middle eastern, colonial imports and various imports from the empire. Then there is local dialect,plus welsh scottish and irish then regional cumbrian, northumbrian, yorkshire, norfolk, suffolk, cornish, london, isle of mann, somerset and more. Some of these can speak in a language of their own.
English English;
Pigeon English;
Nigerian English;
American English;
Indian English;
Australian English:
The Queen’s english;
To name but a few;
Hardly surprising the english speak english very badly.
Gert…great
Lile,,, little
Marrah….friend.
Gadgy barre…mate
Shant…ashamed.
are all Cumbrian..I use these everyday/
Then there is business english and text english and broken english and advert english and swear words that are universal. An interesting one is Trump,
This means Fart; Quite appropriate these days/
I much prefer the Gambia expression for this bodily function. You say “he has fouled the air”
Most apt !
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains { by “jungle george” he’s got it } Rex Harrison said it so well. {My fair Lady}
Nanga Deff/
A “yardie” would say, “gweh wid ya queen inglish man”
And the Nigerian…,”agh agh!, Ah beg, comot wit dis yo queen eenglish nah.
Mike you got it! In the Gambia they say, “he has fouled the air”. Or, “let off bad air”
You know….we are just human.
I personally like to be rated,”sufficient”.”the below average” still have room for improvement.
Nonetheless, we don’t expect Barrow, cabinet ministers, NAMs, senior civil servants, DGs, MDs, etc., to be speaking in broken-english when interviewed by BBC, CNN or Fox news for example.
I think I’ve learned the reasons why English themselves sit for English language exams.
-And why @#peace= has learned the need to improve.
The Gambia has a few mineral resources including; fanta, strawberry, julsaf and wonjo juice. Bery swit wen i tes it. It cos laugh catch me, I laugh I laugh small I die.
How do you like this @Dormu Rewwum Gambia aka Luntango Sun Gaan Hi?
Mr. Scales,
The cognoscenti amongst us will appreciate that my coruscating on this forum is simply for the purpose of ameliorating any atavistic lexicon I come across, engage in a little intellectual badinage and to assist those like yourself discombobulated by tricky diction. I hope you will find my cornucopia of knowledge useful, but please don’t sit on your callipygian all day hammering the keyboard with assiduous malevolence!
Andrew, please translate this for Mr. Scales into “Pigeon English”!
Order ! Order! The ayes to the right 334 The noe’s to the left 294 The ayes have it. The ayes have it .
Dormu Rewwum Gambia (aka Luntango Suun Gann Gi)…I was expecting a rational argument in reference to the topic raised. Remember it says ‘Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool and fool thinks himself to be wise and clever, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool’. But since you are an expect in English language to teach English to Englishmen, I am praying for you to use your ‘English’ to acquire English knowledge and use your intelligence and imagination to lift our people fro abject poverty and underdevelopment . Remember the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination says Albert Einstein. ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution so our people can live in modernity dignity and respect on Earth. Jag hoppas att du kan använda din talang i den ädla vägen. Tack.
Wow, great improvement! That is why I am a “super teacher”. B – Grade.
Seegill;
Our most honorary and and respected Comedian in Liverpool is a gentleman called Ken Dodd.
Sir Kenneth Dodd uses strange language also.
We are not as Ken would say,,, Discomknockerated by Mr Halake’s choice of socially redundant words.
I think intellectual mastebation is lower than lowest form of wit. An honour usually reserved for sarcasm.
But your excellent point is noted my good friend. Let us not be distracted by” clowns or fools or half wits” and return to the debate of debates.
Bourne;
There are many similarities in the way Gambians and Englishmen describe meanings in abstract descriptions/
One that springs to mind is the Mandinka say something like ” you can drag the donkey to the well but you can not make it drink”
We say “you can drag a horse to water but you can not make it drink”
There is another that I have largely forgotten.
It goes something like” A drunken monkey on top of a tree, will always fall to the ground”
Perhaps you can refresh my memory ???
There is another saying that is always close by my side;
” He is ensconced in a labyrinth of pernicious melancholia”
Such is the universal condition.
Mike….you fought tirelessly for a free Gambia. Proud of you 🙂 . Keep it up…from aka Badara I used to sign with here. Said, impartiality of the Speaker is a key feature of that office an good for democracy and debate on important issues facing 1.8 million in object poverty and underdevelopment.