Adama Barrow Blames UDP for the Failure of Gambia’s Constitutional Reform

President Adama Barrow has blamed the United Democratic Party (UDP) for the failure of earlier efforts to enact a new constitution, saying opposition lawmakers voted against the proposed bill in the National Assembly. Barrow made the remarks in an interview with QTV Gambia. He said his government had started a constitutional reform process but struggled to secure enough parliamentary support for the measure to pass. He recalled that a previous attempt failed during a plenary vote in the Assembly. Barrow said that setback prompted his party to seek a stronger parliamentary presence in the 2021 legislative elections. Although the National People’s Party won many seats, it did not reach the threshold needed to pass the constitutional bill, he said. According to Barrow, the proposal received support from 35 lawmakers, short of the 40 votes required. He attributed the shortfall to opposition members, including lawmakers from the UDP, who voted against it. He questioned why his government continues to face criticism for the failure when passage required support across party lines. Barrow also acknowledged that the National Assembly is independent and that lawmakers make their own decisions when voting. He said broad parliamentary backing was essential to enact a new constitution. Looking ahead to the next elections, Barrow said he could not guarantee that a new constitution would be passed unless his party secured the necessary majority. He said the government would prepare another constitutional bill and submit it to the Assembly if it won enough seats. He would campaign in support of the proposed legislation, he added, while the parliamentary process would determine its fate. The 1997 Constitution remains in force after the 2020 reform bill failed to win sufficient support in the National Assembly.