President Jammeh opens new parliament session

Banjul (The Gambia) Parliamentarians from all over The Gambia were on hand Friday evening for the state opening in Banjul of the new legislative year 2007 by the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.

The formal occasion, which attracted the usual large crowd of interested onlookers, was significant this time for it was the first session of the parliament, since their election in January 2007, to be addressed by President Jammeh.

This is the formal opening of parliament for the start of work in the 2007 legislative year, as well as an opportunity for President Jammeh to present his government’s plans and programmes for the year.

For the majority of the members, this was their first time to attend the legislature, to represent their constituencies following their election in last month’s legislative elections. Five of the 53 members are nominated by the head of state in accordance with constitutional provisions.

President Jammeh was met on arrival by the newly elected Speaker, Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, who introduced him to members from both the government and opposition sides of the house, before being conducted to the chambers to deliver his formal address.

In a wide ranging speech, Jammeh told members that his “government remains committed to put in place rational sustainable policies and programmes in order to achieve higher economic growth and development, to improve the welfare of all Gambians.”

He noted that some of the developments will be in the key sectors “namely, agriculture and natural resources, health, education and the provision of basic infrastructure, security constituting the essential elements for sustainable development.”

Jammeh spoke about the planned transformation of the agricultural sector through the creation of the newly established National Agricultural Development Agency, to effectively generate, utilise and mobilise human, financial and material resources for the sustainable development of the sector. He said the sector performed reasonably well in 2006 with growth of 3% and 4% respectively in cereal and groundnut production.

He also spoke about the multi-million dollar African Development Bank/International Fund for Agricultural Development funded “Participatory Integrated Watershed Management Project,” tasked “to empower farming communities, increase productivity of crops, livestock and forest resources at the grassroots level.”

This is in the transfer and control of efficient land use management from the government to the local community.

The speech also ranged over successes made in the health, education and infrastructure sectors as well as tourism and the service and hospitality industries. He told members of new legislation in the offing and then called on all to desist from partisan politics and work collectively in the national interest.

“You may belong to different political parties, but what is important is that national interest should precede all other activities…” he stressed.

The President’s party enjoys an overwhelming majority in the new legislature with 43 out of the 48 elected members. /APA

 

Published by Korir, African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525