Ya Kumba Wins Against Barrow

YAKUMBA WINS

AGAINST BARROW

By Omar Bah

The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that

President Adama Barrow acted

unlawfully in terminating Ya Kumba

Jaiteh’s as a nominated national

assembly member.

An Executive Directive was given for

Ms Jaiteh’s removal after she allegedly

criticised the president at a political rally

in Gunjur.

But few days after the revocation of her

nomination, Ms Jaiteh filed a lawsuit at

the Supreme Court challenging the

president’s decision.

She claimed that the president didn’t

have the powers to do so.

The Gambian constitution empowers the

president to nominate five people to the

National Assembly.

In March last year, Ms Jaiteh lost an

injunction to prevent the swearing in of

her replacement, Foday Gassama, .

But yesterday, the country’s apex court

led by Chief Justice Hassan B Jallow

ruled that she was unlawfully sacked.

“The purported termination of the

nomination of Ya Kumba Jaiteh through

an executive letter was unconstitutional,

null and void. The third defendant,

Gassama’s nomination is

unconstitutional, null and void,” the

court declared

The court then issued an injunction for

Mr Gassama to desist from presenting

himself as a nominated member of the

national assembly ‘anywhere’.

Accordingly Mrs. Jaiteh has also been

cleared by the court to resume work as

prescribed by the constitution.

Immediately after the court’s ruling, Ya

Kumba Jaiteh told journalists the

judgment is a victory for the country and

its democracy.

“This is not Ya Kumba Jaiteh victory but

the victory of the country and its

democracy. This was a test of the

judiciary,” she said.

Credit: Standard Newspaper