Fifteen people who took to the streets in The Gambia on Friday to protest against plans by President Adama Barrow to prolong his stay in power have been charged under the Public Order Act with violating the law.
Announcing the decision to charge the demonstrators, Interior minister Ebrima Mballow said the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on them.
Mballow accused them of taking to the streets without a permit from the police authorizing the protest which was dispersed by an anti-riot squadron.
The demonstration spearheaded by the activists under the so-called Operation Three Years Jotna was a rallying call against attempts by President Barrow and his allies to discount an election promise he made to Gambian voters in 2016 about stepping down after 36 months in charge.
The Gambian constitution mandates an elected president to lead the country for a stipulated five years.
The would he or won’t he debate over his tenure has caused tension between Barrow’s supporters who want him to go by the constitution and his detractors who believe he should respect the so-called gentlemen agreement struck by the coalition government he led into the presidential election in which former military ruler Yahya Jammeh was defeated.
Earlier this week, local newspaper reported that the parties making up the coalition had agreed to ditch the three-year tenure in favour of five years, a decision rejected by the United Democratic Party, from which Barrow had resigned to stand as an independent presidential candidate under the coalition.
The UDP is led by Barrow’s former political godfather and protégé Ousainou Darboe who was sacked as vice president in March.
In recent weeks, both men have been engaged in some verbal sparring, directing sharp barbs at each other in front of their supporters.
WN/as/APA