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Appearing before Deputies Thursday, Minister Sonko attributed the UDP permit denial to lack of men on the side of the police to cover the event. The Minister said in the absence of sufficient personnel to provide security, it would be unsafe to grant permit to the UDP, but the opposition representative in parliament dismissed Sonko’s assertions. MP Sanneh said there have never been any given time that the police had provided security to the UDP, and therefore described Sonko’s claims as misleading.

Haruna..Commentary.

So Sonko says UDP's permits were denied for lack of enough police personnel to provide security for UDP partisans. The UDP's permit request does not contain a request for security protection. Why would the IGP burden itself for resources it does not have nor can it provide and give that as reason for the denial of the permits? And it should have been very easy for the IGP to state that as the reason for denial of permits. But IGP was derelict both in the denial of permit and in the completion of that denial. They cannot do anything right if their lives depend on it.

We were informed by Dad that PDOIS had applied for rally permit and that the permit for PDOIS' rally/ies were granted. Did the IGP provide PDOIS with security for her rally or did PDOIS ever hold that rally?

Is it the contention of Sonko that if any opposition party applies for rally permit, they must mention that they do not need security coverage from the IGP or the state before the permit would be granted? And how will the opposition know if their permit is approved or not?

I encourage UDP, NRP, GMC, PPP, and PDOIS to apply for permits as soon as possible to hold rallies ahead of their congresses. The opposition needs to communicate the plight of Femi Peters to all Gambians particularly those who are not in the know. They are missing a great opportunity to challenge the APRC's intimidation and fraudulent tactics if they do not speak with the voters and often. You can chew gum and walk all at the same time.

Courtesy: Freedomnewspaper.

Breaking News: Gambia: Speaker Elizabeth Renner Warns Opposition Against Asking Questions Over UDP Permit Denial
Speaker Elizabeth Renner Warns Opposition Against

Asking Questions Over UDP Permit Denial

By Staff Reporter Fatou Cham, Banjul

Speaker of Parliament Elizabeth Renner yesterday openly exhibited her biasness, and prejudice against the opposition Deputies in Parliament, when she censored questions regarding permit denial by the office of the Inspector General of police to the main opposition United Democratic Party to hold political rallies in the country. The Speaker overruled questions fired to the disgraced Interior Minister Ousman Sonko, who was taken to task by the minority leader Momodu LK Sanneh over the police’s recent move to deny his party permit. Elizabeth Renner told the MP that some of the questions he asked the Minister were irrelevant, and were outside the domain of the Parliament rules and regulations. The Speaker saved Minister Sonko from the parliamentary scrutiny saying that she wouldn’t entertain leading questions from MP Sanneh.

“The office of the Inspector General of Police deemed it fit and proper not to approve the applications as required by the applicant, in the public interest,” Sonko said.

The parliamentary drama between Minister Sonko, and the opposition MP began when the Minority Leader, Momodou L.K. Sanneh, National Assembly Member for Kiang West made reference to the application that was made by the (UDP) to the Inspector General of Police requesting for a permit to use public Address System in their mass political rallies which were dated on the 24th February 2009, 28th April 2009, 5th May 2009, and 21st May 2009, but were all rejected by the Inspector General of Police without any explanation. Mr. Sanneh wanted to know “the legal or constitutional authority which the Inspector General of Police is exercising in rejecting these requests to hold rallies.”

As tempers flared up, Pa Jallow, National Assembly Member for Jarra Central also expressed dismay that the police is unfairly discriminating against the opposition. He said the opposition has always been denied permit. Jallow is the least satisfied with Sonko’s responses at all.

The Speaker Elizabeth Renner intervened by censoring Mr. Jallow’s questions. She called him to order, as the proceedings continued. The speaker said some of the questions asked were statements, and not questions. Minister Sonko walked out of Parliament leaving unanswered questions lingering in the minds of the aggrieved parliamentarian.