Lawmakers’ failure to turn up suspends parliamentary sitting

The National Assembly on Monday could not proceed with its scheduled business after lawmakers failed to show up in sufficient numbers, forcing the postponement of the sitting.

Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie, who presided over the session, informed members that the House did not have enough lawmakers present to continue with proceedings.

He ordered the ringing of the division bell to call absent members to the chamber.

Despite waiting for additional members to arrive, the required number was still not met. The House was given extra time, but attendance remained low.

The Deputy Speaker noted that some lawmakers were outside the country, while others could not immediately be accounted for. He later postponed the sitting.

The disruption meant that several important bills could not be debated or advanced. These included the Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the second reading of the Gambia Immigration Bill, 2026, and the ongoing consideration of the Intellectual Property Bill, 2025.

For many citizens, parliamentary sittings are where decisions that affect daily life are made. When meetings are postponed because members are not present, scheduled national business is delayed.

The National Assembly is expected to resume sitting on Tuesday.

Source: The Point