A Gambian youth group under the ministry of youth has asked for the resignation of country’s lawmakers two months before their mandate expires for backing former President Yahya Jammeh on the declaration of state of emergency in the country.
The institution responsible for youth affairs in Gambia, the National Youth Council, has demanded the resignation of lawmakers following what they considered to be their complicity with former president Yahya Jammeh through the scary political impasse that gripped the nation for about 2 months.
Jammeh has lost elections to President Adama Barrow but refused to step down claiming the process was tainted with “unacceptable irregularities”.
For more: Jammeh heads to exile in Equatorial Guinea: ECOWAS
He filed a petition at the country’s Supreme Court where absence of judges has made it impossible for his case to go, a fate that also applied to his injunction filed to stop the inauguration of Barrow.
The National Assembly then approved a resolution declaring state of emergency in the country which extended the life of Jammeh’s presidency until May.
The young people justified their demands for the resignation of lawmakers on the ‘failure’ of their responsibilities “to protect our rights and represent out interest”.
“This action of the National Assembly has led Gambia and Gambians into serious and unprecedented fear and anxiety causing serious economic breakdown…,” they said in a letter addressed to the National Assembly.
“Sequel to these circumstances, the young people of The Gambia are demanding the National Assembly to publicly apologise to Gambian people for their role in aggravating the political impasse, reverse the state of emergency resolution and the extension of the term of the National Assembly and further repeal all unfavorable laws enacted, restrictions on rights of citizens”.
The Gambia is holding a National Assembly election in March this year.
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