“Agenda 2011 Is A Carbon Copy of NADD” – Says OJ

• Posted by Modou S. Joof on March 21, 2010 at 6:06pm
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Banjul, The Gambia (TNBES) Opposition Leader, Mr. Omar Jallow (OJ) has pointed out that Agenda 2011 is more or less a carbon copy of the guidelines that set-up the National Alliance for Democracy and Development.

“From my point of view really I have been reading about the Agenda 2011 from the newspapers and I think that some of the selling points that have been highlighted are all part of the preamble of the establishment of
NADD and therefore it is more less a carbon copy of the master plan on the Memorandum of Understanding of NADD,” he said.

Agenda 2011, a document by the Director of People Center for Social Science Research Civic Awareness and Community Initiative, Halifa Sallah, seeks in a more simple term, a government of the people, for the people and by
the people.

However, in an interview with The Voice Newspaper, the Interim Leader of the People Progressive Party, Omar Jallow noted that he is a member of a registered political party, which is NADD, in which now PPP and
PDOIS are the partners, therefore for his agenda is what will be the activities
of NADD, the programme and the progress of NADD for the 2011 elections.

Mr. Jallow, who is also an Executive Member of NADD said he believe in people who believe in consultation and if he had any idea, particularly knowing that leadership is never a single owned, but own by people
who really put you forward as a leader, “I still think we should be consulting
each other, but as long as this consultations has not yet taken place for 2011,
I should believe that the process have started whereby we start consulting
party leaders to see what form of alliance can be established for 2011.”
According to OJ, it is a known fact that everybody in The Gambia accepts the
fact that without the equation of the political parties coming together, there
is no way they can democratically remove Yahya Jammeh from State House and this
has to be reflected in 2011, as much as in the 2001 alliance, which was not
comprehensive as they were defeated.

“We have seen the positive results of that alliance and this was more concrete, concretive and confirmed in 2006, when NADD was established that in the bi-elections which took place when NADD came into force. NADD won
handsomely four of the seats and the APRC won two,” he said.

He said: “that was a confirmation that if we are united, we will create a credible opposition where all Gambians will look up to with respect and confidence of the opposition. This is why we should learn from our
mistakes in 2001 and 2006 and come together as one and work for the common
interest of all Gambians.”

Jallow also admitted: “PPP as you know if I have to be honest with you, we have some difficulties within the party, but the party is still active as a member of NADD and we were very active in 1996, 2001 and
2006. But I have to confirm that with the breaking-up of NADD, a lot of our
members not only in PPP, but other political parties were defeated and
discouraged with the actions of the leadership of the opposition, because we
betrayed there trust and confidence.”

OJ also acknowledges that all parties are now struggling once more to inject some confidences in their members, however he noted that this is not an easy task, because if they fail to bring up a concrete and
comprehensive Alliance in 2001 and in 2006, it will be very difficult as at now
to convince their members that if given the chance in 2011, they will be more
responsible to overcome their problems. Vol:2 Issn:135