Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Assembly on Monday was forced to adjourn its sitting after failing to muster the required quorum, leaving several significant legislative bills in limbo and pushing key parliamentary business to Tuesday.
Deputy Speaker Seedy SK Njie informed members present that the House lacked the minimum number of lawmakers needed to conduct official business, even after the division bell was rung, a procedural measure used to summon members to the chamber.
“I’ve been informed that we lack a quorum,” the Deputy Speaker told the House, disclosing that some members were reportedly out of the country while the whereabouts of others remained unclear.
In a bid to salvage the sitting, proceedings were briefly suspended to allow additional members time to make their way to the chamber. But after repeated attempts to reach the required numbers proved futile, the Deputy Speaker had no choice but to adjourn the House entirely until Tuesday.
The adjournment brought a halt to several items listed on the order paper. Among those delayed were the first readings of two bills, the Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Also pushed back were the second reading of the Gambia Immigration Bill, 2026, and the continuation of the consideration stage of the Intellectual Property Bill, 2025, all measures with potential far-reaching implications for Gambians.
Before rising, the Deputy Speaker acknowledged the weight of the legislative agenda before the House and called on members to ensure their attendance whenever parliamentary sittings are scheduled, a pointed reminder of the responsibility lawmakers bear to the institution and the citizens it serves.
The postponement means that debate and processing of these consequential bills will now have to await the Assembly’s reconvening on Tuesday, underscoring persistent concerns about parliamentary attendance and the pace of legislative business in the country.
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