Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Assembly failed to proceed with its scheduled sitting on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, after only 22 lawmakers turned up, seven short of the 29 required to form a quorum. The shortfall forced Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta to adjourn the session to the following day.
Tuesday’s Order Paper included a Matter of the Day on stateless residents of Ghana Town, the consideration stages of the Early Warning and Response Mechanism Bill and the National Population Bill, as well as a motion seeking approval for new commissioners of the Gambia Anti-Corruption Commission. None of these items could be discussed due to the low turnout.
Hon. Sainey Jawara of Lower Saloum strongly criticized absentee members, urging the Speaker to enforce the rules without exception.
“Members should not be at home when they have vehicles and everything needed to attend,” he said, arguing that colleagues who routinely skip sittings are undermining parliamentary work.
The Member for Niamina Dankunku echoed similar frustrations, noting that chronic lateness and absenteeism have plagued the Fifth Legislature from its inception. He stressed that lawmakers must uphold the standards they set for the nation.
“If we are not respecting our own rules, who will respect us?” he asked. “We are elected to represent our constituencies. At 10 o’clock, we should be here. If we don’t start business, we expose ourselves.”
However, Hon. Alhagie Mbowe of Upper Saloum urged a more flexible approach, reminding the House that the Standing Orders allow the Speaker to defer the start of a sitting by up to one hour.
“If you defer for one hour, we can call each other and continue,” he said.
In response, Speaker Jatta clarified that he is legally permitted only two actions when a quorum cannot be formed: defer the sitting for up to one hour or adjourn it to another day. He said he chose to adjourn as a necessary wake-up call.
“Things have fallen apart, and we need to do better,” he said before adjourning the session to Wednesday, 3 December 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
The adjournment means that key bills and appointments will face further delays, heightening public frustration over persistent absenteeism among National Assembly Members.
