Honourable Fatou Jahumpa, your primary function as a parliamentarian is to
safe guard the provisions of the constitution and to perform such an onerous
duty requires a thorough understanding of its content. So for any member to
raise concerns about  constitutional procedures it must be treated with
respect and addressed fully. Without proper prcedures in place nothing could
be accomplished and that is why there exist standing orders, which the
members could rely upon to have a coherent debate, failure to adhere to
these procedures will make one vulnerable, this is why it should be the duty
of every member to not only understand the standing orders but to know the
contents and provisions of the constitution.

After all this is the most supreme document in the counry, from it flows the
powers of the Executive, The Judiciary as well as the NAM. So any meaningful
discussion regarding the constitution must not be ridiculed in the pretext
that it is a show off. Without proper adherence to the constitution
government cannot implement it's programmes, if it does without strict
adherence it would become illicit, and I do not think that your government
would want to be seen to be using might instead of law.

The law, I mean the procedures and provisions in the constitution are there
for a reason, hence one would hope and expect that you adhere to it. There
cannot be any excuse to bypass the constitution, everything must emanate
from it. I hope all those elected and norminated will endeavour to study the
provisions so that the debates can be meaningful. I look forward to hearing
more debates.

>From: Fatu Jahumpa Cessay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: FJC: The Assembly is not a constitutional university
>Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 15:32:44 +0000
>
>Son,
>Thank you very much for the insults.I will not blame.
>Aunty FJC
>
>Y C Jow wrote:
>
> > Listen to our own "highly qualified" new MP Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay try to
> > discourage debating in parliament.  And to think that some of us believe
>this
> > whole "interest of the nation" BS.  These people only care about their
> > interests.  In other words, a parliament completely dominated by their
>agenda
> > and nothing less even though we know that there are very few other
>parties in
> > the parliament.
> >
> > FJC is a joke and she should accordingly shut up.  This shameful woman
>knows
> > nothing about parliamentary procedures yet she still spouts rubbish
> >
> > The Assembly is not a constitutional university
> >
> > The nominated National Assembly member, Honourable Mrs Fatoumatta
>Jahumpa
> > Ceesay, has urged members of the august body to make the new House an
> > institution with a difference, emphasising that such a forum should not
>be
> > manipulated by anyone to make a name for themselves. “We are going to
>make
> > this National Assembly, a National Assembly with a difference in
> > professionalism, in calibre, status and integrity.... We will not allow
>this
> > National Assembly to be used by any individual NAM to make a name,”
>she said,
> > adding that the House was for one to make sure that he/she was there
>“for the
> > interest, progress, and prosperity of the Gambian people,”.
> >
> > Therefore, we will not allow it to be used as a constitutional
>university to
> > be debating on the constitution for hours. While the Gambian people in
>the
> > remote villages somewhere are suffering and want a water pump or solar
> > system, somebody is debating seven hours, talking about
>constitutionality in
> > the National Assembly,” FJC said. She said they would also use the
>might of
> > the majority in the interest of the Gambian people, especially the
> > under-privileged women and children.
> >
> > Therefore, for anybody to think that you can come in and say I have come
>to
> > this Assembly to make a name for the international community to know me
>or
> > hear me, you are fooling yourself. We are going to make sure that it
>does not
> > happen and we will do it with dignity, integrity and maturity because
>after
> > all, we are all Gambians - brothers and sisters. We will make sure that
>we
> > are one family and work in the interest of the Gambian people,” FJC
>said. She
> > said people should however not see her as a gender activist in the
>house. “I
> > am going to be here as a Gambian and support both male and female
>because we
> > are partners in development,” she noted.
> >
> > She thanked President Jammeh for nominating her, describing it “a
>privilege,”
> >  saying ... “this is not the chip of the block but the block itself
>because
> > my father was a Mayor of Banjul. I was also the first female deputy
>mayor of
> > Banjul. He was also in parliament and here again, I am also in the
> > parliament. So I think it is a challenge and I will take the
>challenge,” she
> > said. FJC expressed optimism that the new Assembly would be very
>interesting
> > and with a difference “because we have three opposition leaders.”
> >
> >
> >
> >
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