By Ousman Saidykhan
On Wednesday morning, the Speaker of Parliament, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, interrupted the National Assembly Member for Banjul South while she apologized to her constituency. She regretted participating in a debate on the 2025 budget estimates, which she described as illegal.
Touma Njie stated that it was legally incorrect for the parliamentarians to consider the draft budget submitted by the finance minister, Seedy Keita, less than 60 days before the end of the year. However, Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta argued that nothing prevents them from reviewing the budget.
According to Section 152, subsection 1 of The Gambia’s Constitution, the President is required to ensure that the Minister of Finance presents the estimates for revenues and expenditures of the Gambia for the upcoming year 60 days before the end of each financial year.
“I think what we are doing is not according to the law. Mr. Speaker, you said that we should respect our Standing Orders, but we have totally disregarded the laws of this country; the supreme law of this country, which is the Constitution, by allowing the tabling of this budget less than 60 days. And I’m sorry, I would apologize to my constituency, Touma Njie said in the Parliament,” the Banjul South Lawmaker said.
The finance minister laid the draft budget on November 15, about 45 days before the end of the year, which is in contravention of the Constitution. However, Minister Keita had cited negotiations with their development partners as the reason for the delay in laying the budget within the constitutionally stipulated time.
The Speaker acknowledged that the tabling was not in accordance with the law but insisted that the Banjul South NAM, whom he accused of trying to misinform the people, quote a provision of the Constitution or their Standing Orders that stipulates what the Parliament should do if the draft budget is not laid before the specified period.
“Honourable, sit down, please. You don’t shout. Be quiet when I’m speaking, please. Honourable, what I’m trying to say here is that for violation of the Constitution or interpretation, that is not our business. If somebody feels that the Constitution is violated, Parliament cannot decide; you go to the court, and they will decide.
“What we said is that, yes, the constitution has been violated, based on the reasons adduced, and we said that there is nothing that stops us from looking at the estimates of revenue and expenditure,” said Speaker Jatta.
Jatta repeated: “Can you now tell us which section of the constitution is flouted and which has told us not to continue, and we continued.”
“I’m quoting the law, and the law is the law, which is a fact. I would appreciate it if you withdraw, saying that I’m misleading. I’m not misleading. I’m stating the fact,” Touma said as she read section 152 subsection (1) of the Constitution.
“Maybe you’re trying to cover yourself because you permitted him according to the minister’s speech. Maybe you’re trying to cover yourself from prosecution.”
Speaker cuts in: “Honourable, you’re misinforming the people, one. I never gave anybody the authority to violate, and our decision was read publicly here for everybody to know. You were absent, and you wanted to mislead us. That would not happen here. Anything you say about that that I believe is not correct…I will stop you.”
Last week, Seedy Keita, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, presented the government budget estimates for 2025 to the National Assembly in Banjul. The estimated budget for the Gambia is D52,980,894,173, which includes recurrent expenditures for the fiscal year 2025.
The year’s estimates indicate an increase of over D10 billion from last year’s approved budget of D42 billion.
