By Fatou Sillah
The National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, Yaya Menteng Sanyang, presented the Local Government Amendment Bill (No. 2) to the National Assembly. The bill’s primary objective is to extend voting rights during local council meetings to nominated councillors and selected members.
According to Sanyang, the proposed legislation seeks to rectify the limitations of the 2002 Local Government Act by ensuring the representation of diverse Gambian interests at the local government level. Nominated councillors and selected members, appointed by mayors and chairpersons in collaboration with the Minister, represent groups underrepresented in the electoral process, such as women, youth, Alkalos, district chiefs, and individuals with disabilities.
“This Bill seeks to give nominated councillors and selected members of the local councils voting rights, as opposed to the 2002 Local Government Act, to ensure that the interests of all Gambians are represented in the local government. Nominated councillors and selected members are nominated and selected by the mayors and chairpersons in concurrence with the Minister to represent groups that may not be adequately represented through the electoral process, such as women, youth, the Alkalos, district chiefs and people with disabilities,” He said
Sanyang emphasized that providing voting rights to nominated and selected members is essential to amplifying their voices in the decision-making process. He stated, “Giving them voting rights would ensure that their voices are heard, and their needs are considered in the decision-making process. It would also promote democracy and good governance. Democratic institutions are based on the principle of popular participation. Giving nominated councillors and selected members voting rights would allow them to participate fully in the democratic process and hold the elected councillors accountable.”
The Member for Latrikunda Sabiji underscored that the bill’s approval would democratize decision-making within the council, ensuring a comprehensive representation of diverse opinions.
“It would also ensure that all members of the council have a voice in decision-making and promote democracy and accountability at the local level. Giving nominated councillors and selected members the right to vote would allow for more nuanced and informed decision-making, by considering the views of a wider range of stakeholders and encouraging greater participation in local government. Moreover, it would enhance effective representation,” He said.
Sanyang further argued that the bill would enhance the quality of decision-making within local government. Nominated councillors and selected members, possessing expertise in specific areas like education, health, and social welfare, could contribute valuable knowledge to the decision-making process. This, in turn, would lead to improved outcomes for the Gambian population.
“It would improve the quality of local government decision-making. Nominated councillors and selected members often have expertise in specific areas, such as education, health, and social welfare. Giving them voting rights would allow them to contribute their knowledge and skills to the decision-making process, which would lead to better outcomes for all Gambians. For example, a nominated councillor and a selected member who is a woman’s rights activist could use their voting rights to advocate for policies that benefit women and girls
“A nominated councillor or a selected member who is a youth leader could use his/her voting rights to advocate for policies that benefit young people, and a nominated councillor or a selected member who is a person with a disability could use his/her voting rights to equally advocate for policies that make local government services more accessible to people with disabilities. Finally, giving nominated councillors and selected members voting rights would be a positive step towards promoting democracy, good governance, and the interests of all Gambians,” he said.
However, during the debate on the bill’s merits and principles, Honourable Almameh Gibba, the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala constituency, expressed concerns about the partisan nature of council nominations. He suggested incorporating regulations into the bill to ensure nominations are aligned with considerations of disability, youth, and other criteria.
“We have seen nominations, and most of those nominations may not be along the line of disability, or the youthful aspects is more of a party line, or is more of an interest group, or more of who do. I want to be in my position. So I will also want to suggest in the bill if it’s possible for us to put something that will regulate whereby if you talk of youth, if you talk of disability, it has to be,” he said.
Honourable Touma Njai of Banjul South also staunchly opposed the idea of nominated councillors having voting rights, stating, “I am a democrat, and I believe in a mandate been given by the people. I don’t think it is new for me to talk about nominated members. I think so many times in this August house I have given my position about nominated members, and I think I will be a hypocrite if I’m to stand here and support the voting rights of nominated Councillors because I have always spoken; my father has been a nominated member of this August parliament, and I have never supported the idea of having nominated members, so I will not support the idea of giving nominated Councillors the right to vote as a democrat because I think that right should be given by the people and that right is given to elected Councillors, we have 121 wards in this country so if we are talking about popular representation I think it is widely spread as against 53 constituencies,”
Despite the various perspectives presented, the bill faced significant opposition during the debates, ultimately leading to 27 members of the National Assembly voting against its passage.