Are they really serious in managing the affairs of our nation? ================================================================================= Assembly fails to get quorum Sitting at the National Assembly was called off yesterday after a quorum could not be formed.National Assembly standing orders require at least 24 members to be present before the Assembly could sit for business. The quorum could not be formed following the absence of all APRC members except Daddy Dampha.Most of the ruling party members were said to have travelled to Kanilai for a meeting. The Speaker, Mustapha Wadda, was said to have travelled to Burkina Faso.Precisely 25 minutes after the stated time for the start of the session Daddy Dampha, member for Janjangbureh, entered the chambers. Talking to the Daily Observer, he said, "I didn't know my people were going to Kanilai because I was not present during the last meeting. I had a stomach upset which has just started to cool." Seated in her office while caretakers closed doors and lowered the national flag, the deputy speaker, Cecilia Cole, said, "The matter is that today's sitting have been postponed because we do not have a quorum. I am not prepared for any more interviews, journalists." Sidia to sponsor two bills PDOIS' Sidia Jatta said, "This is a clear manifestation that some Assembly members are failing in assuming responsibility in the interest of the country." He said he was going to sponsor a bill to recall members of the Assembly who are found wanting.Mr Jatta said that there is a provision in the constitution that mandated the electorate's to recall members found wanting, adding that there should be an enactment to that effect. The Wuli representative revealed that he will sponsor another bill to appoint a special committee to manage state gifts in the interest of the country. He said gifts should not be handed to members of the National Assembly, secretaries of state or the president as individuals, but should be submitted to the state. Kemeseng and Hamat differ The minority leader, Kemeseng Jammeh, argued that members of the ruling APRC are not taking the affairs of the country seriously and that "they are giving priority to the meeting at Kanilai." However, the NRP leader, Hamat Bah, said the situation was "normal...they should be given the chance. I accept the absence. They have the majority, if they are not here, nothing works. This is not strange," the NRP leader said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------