By Lamin Cham
Former ruling party APRC has confirmed that its preparations for this year’s national congress, slated for December 16 in Jangjanbureh, CRR, is near completion. Over the last few weeks, the party has been busy touring the provinces mainly in the Central River Region, the host for the congress.
Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay (FJC) General Secretary of the party told The Standard that the party has just concluded a tour of the CRR, to initiate dialogue with the supporters in and around the region as well as inform the local authorities there, from village to regional level about the congress, the 8th since the party was formed in 1996. FJC said the tour took them to inspect facilities identified for accommodation and other logistics for the event at Janjanbureh, Brikamaba, and Bansang among other places. She said they have also engaged religious leaders and ordinary people in the region about the congress.
“We have toured the region with one strong message to all of the people in the region and that is, as APRC, our tradition of being the party of the people still remains, with renewed determination to manifest our legitimate mission to serve our people and to be accountable to them through a regular congress which is also a requirement of the IEC. A national congress is a very important event in the life of the party and it is also one avenue that brings the leaders to the ordinary people. It is held every two years with rotating venues around the country reflecting the diverse nature of the party’s support base,” FJC told The Standard.
She further revealed that senior party officials including deputy leader Ousman Rambo Jatta, Admin Secretary Councilor Malamin Badjie, Pa Sainey Badjie (Obama) deputy general mobiliser and others were all part of the tour which has successfully engaged and consulted widely in the region on the congress as directed by party leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta.
Asked to comment on reports of a different congress reportedly being planned by the rival faction of the party, FJC said there is no other party called APRC other than the one led by Fabakary Tombong Jatta. “I think the last national assembly elections has made that clear. They contested and won as independent and we have no problems about that (after all they were part us), but the APRC that is recognised by the IEC is our party and that is why the IEC directed its memo on national congresses to our APRC through our leader Fabakary,” FJC said.
The congress will take place from December 16 to the 18th in Janjanbureh to be attended by militants from across the country.
