By Omar Bah
The National Assembly member for Serekunda West, Madi MK Ceesay has called for the banning of the opposition Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction if they insist on commemorating July 22.
Speaking at a press conference he convened on the matter yesterday Hon. Ceesay said: “I want to call on the President Barrow administration to ban the APRC if they continue to promote the agenda of celebrating the birth of the party on July 22.”
The veteran journalist and UDP NAM for SK West further stressed that any plans to celebrate July 22 will tantamount to a mockery of democracy and any attempt to glorify it will be criminal.
“We all know July 22 is synonymous with a coup d’état; therefore any attempt from the APRC to celebrate July 22 will mean promoting a coup which is a criminal act in our constitution,” he said.
Hon. Ceesay added: “I’m not saying APRC should not celebrate the birth of their party which is in August or their achievements over the past 22 years. What I am saying is that, it will not be ideal to celebrate the date on July 22.
“What happened in July 22, 1994 was a criminal act and should not be condoned by anybody. What happened on that day was an act of betrayal by the former president who was a member of the national army,” Ceesay said.
Hon Ceesay said November 11, 1994 and March 2006 are clear indications that even Yayha Jammeh himself never condoned a coup.
“Yes, we now have a new democracy in the Gambia, but we should all remember the fact that, democracy goes with the respect of rule of law,” he said.
“I want to thank the government of the Gambia on their position not to allow the APRC to celebrate July 22. The party was not born on July 22 so there is no reason for them to celebrate the birth of the party on July 22,” he concluded.
