Are they really serious in managing the affairs of our nation?
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            Assembly fails to get quorum

 Sitting at the National Assembly was called off yesterday after a
quorum could not be formed.National Assembly standing orders
require at least 24 members to be present before the Assembly
could sit for business.

                    The quorum could not be formed following the
absence of all APRC members except Daddy Dampha.Most of the ruling
party  members were said to have travelled to Kanilai for a meeting.
  The Speaker, Mustapha Wadda, was said to have travelled to Burkina
Faso.Precisely 25 minutes after the stated time for the start   of the
session Daddy Dampha, member for Janjangbureh, entered           the
chambers.
  Talking to the Daily Observer,  he said, "I didn't know my people
were going to Kanilai because I was not present during the last
meeting. I had a stomach upset which has just started to cool."
     Seated in her office while caretakers closed doors and lowered the
national flag, the deputy speaker, Cecilia Cole, said, "The matter is
that today's sitting have been postponed because we do not have a
quorum. I am not prepared for any more interviews, journalists."

                    Sidia to sponsor two bills

    PDOIS' Sidia Jatta said, "This is a clear manifestation that some
Assembly members are failing in assuming responsibility in the
interest of the country."

   He said he was going to sponsor a bill to recall members of the
Assembly who are found wanting.Mr Jatta said that there is a
provision in the constitution that mandated the electorate's to recall
members found wanting, adding that there should be an enactment
to that effect.

 The Wuli representative revealed that he will sponsor another bill to
appoint a special committee to manage state gifts in the interest    of
the country.

  He said gifts should not be handed to members of the National
Assembly, secretaries of state or the president as individuals, but
should be submitted to the state.

                    Kemeseng and Hamat differ

  The minority leader, Kemeseng Jammeh, argued that members of the
ruling APRC are not taking the affairs of the country seriously and
that "they are giving priority to the meeting at Kanilai."

    However, the NRP leader, Hamat Bah, said the situation was
"normal...they should be given the chance. I accept the absence.
They have the majority, if they are not here, nothing works. This is
not strange," the NRP leader said.

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