Posted by By Bekai Njie
The Gambia National Assembly Speaker Mariam Jack Denton earlier today sent Hon. Halifa Sallah National Assembly Member for Serrekunda out of the Parliament. This followed Halifa’s admonition of the speaker to comport herself and not to obstruct parliamentary debate.
The GRTS reports that the matter arose after majority of the Assembly agreed that the Minister of Finance, Amadou Sanneh first tabled the motion on Concessional Loan Agreement between the government of China and The Gambia on The Gambia National Broadband Network Project before the motion on Framework Agreement on Concessional Loan by China to The Gambia.
“After minutes of firing words of anger in rising tones by some deputies, journalists, and other spectators, Honorable Sallah was asked out of the Legislative Chamber by Speaker Jack Denton,” says GRTS.
The session, however, continued after a break in a calm mood as Hon. Sallah withdrew comments he uttered against Speaker Jack Denton.
The incident followed the ratification of a seventy five million dollar economic and technical agreement between the Republic of The Gambia and the People’s Republic of China by deputies; earmarked for the construction of roads and bridges in URR. Members also ratified a visa-free travel agreement between the government of the Federal Republic of Russia and the government of The Gambia. Both documents were tabled by the minister of Foreign Affairs Ousainou Darboe.