Pro-opposition supporters urge leaders to come to terms

Following Henry Gomez’s call for the leaders of the three main opposition parties to give chance to young politicians to take the lead, pro-opposition supporters in The Gambia who spoke to The Voice have urged various party leaders to come to terms.

This, they claim is for the betterment of the country and its people as the 2011 elections is drawing closer. However, they lament that yet no concrete agreement has been made with regards to a possible alliance.

The United Democratic Party, UDP; National Alliance for Democracy and Development, NADD; and the National Re-conciliation Party, NRP (Ousainou Darboe, Hamat Bah and Halifa Sallah) were singled out. The trio has been in the vanguard of Gambian politics for many years. 

The country heads to the polls on November 24, 2011 and pro-opposition supporters had been asked whether their leaders should give chance to young ones to lead or work towards an alliance to effectively challenge the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction led by Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Lamin Darboe, a resident of Tallinding who claims to be a supporter of NADD, said it is not necessary that the current players should take a back seat and support the new blood.

However, he stressed that they should know that any decision they take should be in the best interest of The Gambia and her people. Opposition leaders should put their personal differences behind and put the interest of the country and her people first.

Talla Jobe, a resident of London Corner, Serrekunda laments a slow in progress of forming an opposition alliance. “Calling for change should not only end in the mouth, instead, action should be taken towards achieving the goal of forming an alliance. Am calling on them to sit together, discuss and come to terms in forming an alliance in order to bring a democratic change of government through the ballot box.”

“Together we stand, divided we fall. Opposition leaders should know this, because no single opposition party can win the elections. They should come together if they want to win the election,” said Karamo Jabbi, a Serrekunda resident UDP supporter said.

“Opposition leaders should know that they are representing the people and not themselves, so what the people tell them is what they should do.” 

Abdou Sonko of Tallinding, said he will only vote when an opposition coalition is formed, without which he will not vote because it will be a “waste of time and energy”.

“Though the present government is doing well when it comes to infrastructural development, I believe it should have a positive impact in the living conditions of the people. But this is not the case, people are dying of hunger and I think oppositions are the only people who can change this situation,” he said.

“Oppositions will never win an election in The Gambia because they are greedy and selfish, what Henry Gomez said is right, Darboe, Halifa Sallah and Hamat Bah should give chance to the young ones since they cannot make any impact now,” said Kalilu Ceesay, a Tallinding resident whose party loyalty cannot be confirmed.

“Since 1996, Darboe is contesting against the APRC and cannot make any positive impact, so he should give chance to others. He is no more a threat to the Jammeh government because he (Jammeh) knows how to defeat him.”

• Source: The Voice