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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Sep 2012 : 19:37:21
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Sidia calls for National Debate on Death Penalty
By Lamin Sanyang
Foroyaa: Published on Monday, 24 September 2012
Hon. Sidia Jatta, former National Assembly Member for Wuli West, in an interview yesterday at the People's Centre in Churchill Town, called on the Government of The Gambia to open up to a national debate on the death penalty and stop using the state television and radio to display partisan politics, while welcoming the release of Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, the former Minister of Information and Mr.TamsirJasseh, the former Director of Immigration, who were granted presidential pardon through the intervention of Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. and in the same breath urging for the release of their co-convicts.
"The practice of mobilising people to go to the president to beg him to halt the execution while showing approval for the execution of the 9 death row prisoners as it is shown on the television is not only a show of bad logic but also a display of partisan politics, " said Sidia Jatta.
This issue of life and death should not be discussed without solemnity and sensitivity. If they want to shape public policy, what should have taken place is to open up the radio and television for national debate," said the former MP for Wuli West.
The Former Wuli West NAM asserted that the law provides the president with prerogatives either to commute the death penalty to life imprisonment or pardon the person. "The law provides that the families of the executed death row inmates should know what happened to them and that they should know how they were killed, the place they were killed and how they were buried but that is still not the case," he remarked.
He expressed happiness that Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh and Mr Tamsir Jassey are released but added that they were sent to prison with others who are still incarcerated.
He called for the clemency to be extended to them.
Hon. Sidia Jatta, former National Assembly Member for Wuli West, said the fundamental problem still remains. "The president claimed to be preserving the Constitution, but it is stated that after 10 years of its coming into force, the desirability of abolishing the death penalty should be reviewed. Therefore, the review should have taken place 5 years ago," said the longstanding lawmaker." If there was any desire to respect the Constitution the bill providing for the review should have been drafted and presented to the National Assembly.
The veteran National Assembly member said that now that the Constitution has been neglected until the time given has expired if the Executive truly respects the constitution it should now focus on reviewing the Constitution to update the time to review the death penalty, adding that it is now the Gambian people who should decide whether the death penalty should be maintained or not," concluded the former Wuli National Assembly Member.
He reminded that the death penalty was removed from the Constitution in the first republic but it was restored by the second republic.
"It is very clear. The death penalty is not adequate for me. All the talks of linking it to Sharia are misleading. It is an intellectual dishonesty. The prisoners were tried in common law courts and not Sharia law courts. The constitution is saying that the Gambia is a secular state," said the experienced legislator.
The veteran politician emphasized the need for electoral reforms to transform into a multi-party democracy to conduct free and fair elections. He pointed out that the government should be open up to debates while the opposition should have full access to the media. He said the country belongs to the Gambian people.
Source: Foroyaa
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