Lawyer Darboe Warns UDP Will Reject Draft Constitution if Provisions From CRC Draft Are Omitted

By Ramatoulie Jawo

Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, the leader and Secretary General of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has stated in an interview with Kerr Fatou that the UDP will reject the new constitution draft if any provisions are missing from the original version submitted by the Constitutional Review Commission in 2020.

Darboe criticized the lack of consultation with his party regarding the draft, calling it highly unfortunate. He emphasized that the draft constitution, as a national document, should not be handled in secrecy.

“But one thing that I know is that our position is that if any provision is omitted from that original draft, we will vote against it, so if the government means business, let them bring that draft back to the National Assembly, and whatever arrangement, or whatever negotiations, will be made at the committee stage because they will not come to the National Assembly with the document edited and will not accept it,” he said.

Darboe further stressed that if the government genuinely intends to pass a new constitution, they should heed his warning. He said he made it clear to mediators such as His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Ebun Chambers that negotiations must take place within the National Assembly. He added that the UDP will not accept a draft different from the one prepared by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC).

“I did make clear to the interveners, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan and my good friend Dr. Ebun Chambers, that we can negotiate it, but it will have to be in the National Assembly. They cannot bring us any draft and expect us to accept that. We are not even going to accept a draft different from the one that the CRC prepared,” he added.

He questioned the government’s commitment to a new constitution, citing the discrepancy between the CRC’s draft and the one gazetted. Darboe noted that the CRC conducted extensive consultations across the country and in the diaspora, gathering diverse perspectives that were presented to the government. Despite this, he observed, some voices within the government have already signaled their refusal to support the constitution.

“After all, what was the purpose of mandating the CRC to undertake that assignment? What was the purpose of the country-wide consultation? There was even consultation in the diaspora, and all those ideas and views were collected, and presented to the government, but even before the matter was taken to the National Assembly, in this very studio we heard their people saying that we were not going to vote for that constitution,” he said.

Additionally, Darboe suggested that even ministerial appointments should be subject to National Assembly vetting, and questioned any legal provisions that might diminish the President’s powers. He pointed out that existing laws allow the President to nominate individuals for appointments, but these should be vetted and approved by the National Assembly.

“You have provisions in other laws that say the president can nominate individuals for appointments, but to be vetted and approved by the National Assembly,” he addressed.