YAKUMBA WINS
AGAINST BARROW
By Omar Bah
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that
President Adama Barrow acted
unlawfully in terminating Ya Kumba
Jaiteh’s as a nominated national
assembly member.
An Executive Directive was given for
Ms Jaiteh’s removal after she allegedly
criticised the president at a political rally
in Gunjur.
But few days after the revocation of her
nomination, Ms Jaiteh filed a lawsuit at
the Supreme Court challenging the
president’s decision.
She claimed that the president didn’t
have the powers to do so.
The Gambian constitution empowers the
president to nominate five people to the
National Assembly.
In March last year, Ms Jaiteh lost an
injunction to prevent the swearing in of
her replacement, Foday Gassama, .
But yesterday, the country’s apex court
led by Chief Justice Hassan B Jallow
ruled that she was unlawfully sacked.
“The purported termination of the
nomination of Ya Kumba Jaiteh through
an executive letter was unconstitutional,
null and void. The third defendant,
Gassama’s nomination is
unconstitutional, null and void,” the
court declared
The court then issued an injunction for
Mr Gassama to desist from presenting
himself as a nominated member of the
national assembly ‘anywhere’.
Accordingly Mrs. Jaiteh has also been
cleared by the court to resume work as
prescribed by the constitution.
Immediately after the court’s ruling, Ya
Kumba Jaiteh told journalists the
judgment is a victory for the country and
its democracy.
“This is not Ya Kumba Jaiteh victory but
the victory of the country and its
democracy. This was a test of the
judiciary,” she said.
Credit: Standard Newspaper