By: Alieu Ceesay
In a move toward greater openness and public engagement, the Gambia National Assembly on Thursday hosted its first-ever press conference, marking a significant step in the institution’s ongoing reforms.
The briefing, held at the National Assembly Auditorium, was led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Clerk Kalipha MM Mbye. It served as a platform to outline the Assembly’s priorities and upcoming activities for the First Ordinary Session of the 2026 legislative year, scheduled to run from Monday, March 2, to Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Clerk Mbye described the initiative as part of broader institutional changes aimed at strengthening transparency, improving predictability in legislative programming, and moving away from traditional practices such as simply circulating agendas for reading. “This convergence reflects a broader institutional reform that the Assembly is undertaking to strengthen transparency, enhancing predictability in legislative programming, departing from the usual way of sending the assembly agenda for reading through, and deepening public understanding of the parliamentary process,” he said. “Through engagement, we will understand each other’s work.”
He emphasized that a modern parliament must not only legislate but also communicate effectively and prepare proactively. “A modern parliament must not only legislate, but it must also communicate, and of course, anticipate and prepare. And this is why we convened this as a best practice across parliaments and jurisdictions,” Mbye added.
The session will feature marathon committee hearings, including updates from the Committee on former President Yahya Jammeh-related matters, with several government ministers expected to appear before lawmakers.
Key legislation on the agenda includes the National Security Council Amendment Bill 2026, intended to modernize the country’s security governance framework. Other proposed bills cover the Gambia Investment and Priority Areas (GIPA) Amendment, Intellectual Property, Communications (to regulate the digital economy and attract investment), National Climate Change, and Integrated Coastal Zone Management—aimed at building legal frameworks for climate resilience and environmental protection.
Addressing persistent challenges, Speaker Jatta highlighted quorum issues that have occasionally disrupted proceedings and led to suspensions. The leadership pledged to tackle this through regulatory reviews and innovative measures. “We are trying to solve this problem in many ways, to look into our regulations to see what can happen to overcome this problem like if the NAM did not come we publish his name so that his people can know that their NAM is not attending parliamentary sessions also to borrow best practices to encourage Parliamentarian to come to the assembly,” the Speaker stated.
Organized with support from the Procedural Department, which oversees plenary business, the press conference underscores the Assembly’s commitment to an “Open Parliament” policy. Officials stressed the vital role of the media as the fourth estate in disseminating information and fostering public understanding of parliamentary work.
This inaugural media engagement is expected to set a precedent, with calls for continued dialogue between lawmakers and journalists to enhance accountability and democratic participation in The Gambia.
