By Fatou Sillah
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, said the legislature merged its third and fourth ordinary sessions of the 2026 legislative year to allow lawmakers to fulfill their parliamentary duties while participating in political activities ahead of the campaign period.
Speaking at a news conference, Jatta said the National Assembly decided after considering the demands facing members as the country approaches the election.
He said parliamentary rules provide lawmakers with some flexibility on attendance, but the Assembly must maintain a required number of members to conduct business. With many lawmakers expected to be engaged in political activities, he said, adjusting the legislative calendar was necessary to avoid disruptions to the Assembly’s work.
Jatta described the merger as a management decision meant to preserve the legislature’s lawmaking and oversight responsibilities while recognizing its members’ political obligations.
“Politics is the mother of the people,” Jatta said. “We are here because of that politics; we came into office because of that politics. We must try to see how we put these things together so that both sides are not affected.”
The Speaker also rejected the suggestion that Parliament’s effectiveness should be measured primarily by the number of days lawmakers spend in session. He said the more meaningful measure is how much legislative work the Assembly completes.
“It’s not the number of days,” he said. “You can be in session for 120 days and get through very little, and then you can be in session for just one month and do a lot. What is critical is the volume of work we have.”
Jatta said the National Assembly has the authority to determine its own calendar and that the adjustment reflected the circumstances facing lawmakers during the election period.
The merger, he said, is intended to ensure that members can meet their legislative responsibilities without significantly interfering with their political activities.
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