Jammeh asks lawmakers to break the law

Now that Jammeh has conned the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission and President of Liberia before a nationally televised telephone exchange which was recorded without her knowledge,  Jammeh is continuing his childish antics by asking the National Assembly to convene today to extend his 5-year mandate as President to a date uncertain, a clearly illegal act.

Some would even argue that the act of extending the term of office of the President of The Republic is a treasonable offence.

Jammeh believes that since he's got Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on tape, seemingly agreeing to entertain an official request from the Gambian dictator to her ECOWAS colleague, to provide judges that will allow Gambia's Supreme Court to sit and deliberate on his pending applications before the Court.

Jammeh initial petition was to ask the Supreme Court to nullify the results of the elections and when that failed he filed an injunction with the same court to bar Adama Barrow from being inaugurated prior to a court decision.   Now that he has succeeded in getting the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission to, at least, entertain the idea of a request from Jammeh for judges, Jammeh will use this as justification to stay beyond the 18th January when he is constitutionally required to vacate State House and cease to be president.

Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Majority Leader 

Jammeh is now geared to asking the National Assembly to convene with a view to illegally extending his term of office.  There is no provision in the constitution that provides for the extension of the presidential term by even a day.

To suggest that by filing a petition, the president must sit and wait in office beyond the constitutionally mandated period while the Court decides is wishful thinking on Jammeh's part.

In fact, in 2011, while Ousainou Darboe's petition was pending before the Supreme Court, Jammeh inaugurated himself on the 19th January 2012.  He had no qualms then.  His current petition before the Supreme Court has nothing to do with processes provided in the constitution to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition of power from Jammeh to Barrow.

Speaker Abdoulie Bojang and Majority Leader Fabakary Tombing Jatta are being urged not to be led astray and into a legal no-man's land by a desperate leader who has been defeated in an election that has been universally acclaimed as free, fair and credible.   The entire world is behind Adama Barrow.

Why would you and the rest of the APRC members of the National Assembly be used in such an unconstitutional manner that will most certainly put you in legal jeopardy.  As lawmakers, you must not be enticed by Jammeh to break the law.  The Gambian people have spoken on the 1st of December by electing Adama Barrow.  National Assembly members of both parties and independents must ensure that the will of the people is not subverted which is what Jammeh is asking you to do.