Gambians speak on opposition
united front
L-R: Omar Jallow, PPP; Henry Gomez, GDPD; Hamat Bah, NRP; Halifa Sllah, PDOIS, Ousainou Darboe, UDP; and Mai Fatty, GMC |
Five opposition parties in The Gambia on October 29, 2011 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a “united
front” ahead of the November 24 presidential elections.
The parties: Gambia Moral Congress
(GMC), Gambia People Democratic Party (GPDP), National Alliance for Democracy
and Development (NADD), National Reconciliation Party (NRP), and People
Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), and a Human
Rights lawyer, Mr Assan Martin, formed what has been seen as the country’s
second opposition to challenge the incumbent, President Yahya Jammeh following
the formation of NADD in 2006. The United Democratic Party (UDP) and the
NRP formed a two-party alliance during the presidential race in 2006, but the
former has since decided to break ranks with the new unity pact.
The October MOU for a united front followed months of
talks by all opposition parties, with speculations rife since the talks were
held clandestinely, media reports uncovered disagreements among the parties.
The UDP and the former ruling party, the People Progressive Party (PPP)
break-away because they are not in support of an inter-party convention to
elect a united front presidential candidate.
Barely three-weeks to the November 24 poll, The
Voice newspaper Political Desk went out and about to gauge the views
of Gambians on the opposition standpoint. Read on…
“We welcome the united front aimed at voting President Yahya
Jammeh out of office. However, it’s about time, Gambians will be happy if the
oppositions achieve this goal. We are tired and we can’t wait to see President
Jammeh ruling this country for another five years,” said Mr Lamin K. Darboe, a businessman
at the Serrekunda market.
Mrs. Ndey Haddy Njie, a Teacher said this is the time that Gambia
opposition parties have to unite, work together and vote president Jammeh out.
“17 years is enough for him to step-down.”
But for Mr. Lamin Drammeh, a resident of Serrekunda,
he holds a different view. He accuses opposition leaders of being
self-centered. It is very shameful to see a small country like The Gambia,
whose opposition parties can not be united. “Who is big and who is small. Our
concern is to vote President Yahya Jammeh out, big or small come together and
vote him out.”
“I was in the government, but I was an opposition to the
government I was serving. There is no
politician in this county,” said Mr Bakary Bai Conteh, a former civil servant.
“The opposition leaders are all selfish. They’ve failed against one man
for three times and from my little observation come 24th November
they will be defeated.”
Mr Conteh added: “To form a united front is a move in the
right direction, but it is late. The oppositions need to challenge the
government of the day on a daily basis. With their eyes and ears open, the
government started campaigning since 2009, nobody spoke against it.” “In this
eleventh hour, what will the united front do? I wish the united front all the
best.”
Only to vote President Yahya Jammeh out, we are ready, but
who will lead us? 17 years of hardship is enough for him to go, but how? When I
heard that the opposition parties were meeting to form an alliance, I was
happy. Only to hear later that the discussions have failed, laments Mr
Lamin Jarju, a resident of Ibo
Town.
For his part, Baboucarr Gaye, a student noted that
the vision and mission of the United Front is as good
as those of NADD. “I hope it will not end up dead without an impact on this
year’s presidential elections. Even if they fail to win, they should try to
hold as much seats as possible in the National Assembly,” he said. “I think
this can help alleviate the trials and tribulations that Gambians are engulfed
in.”
- Source: The Voice
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