By Omar Bah
Ousman Sillah, the PDOIS national assembly member, a party of the governing Coalition, has said that President Adama Barrow should listen to all the Coalition members and adhere to what they are telling him “especially if it is in the interest of the country.”
Sillah, who was speaking on Star FM current affairs programme, said the President should also respect the three-year transition agreement.
“However, it is left to him to decide whether he would adhere to the agreement that made the Coalition or not. But he should remember that he made an agreement to step down after 3 years. He should choose between respecting his words and disregarding them. If I were him I would resign after the three-year transition,” Sillah said.
The PDOIS NAM for Banjul North further observed that honoring the Coalition agreement will set a good democratic precedent in the country and would give good credit and grades to President Barrow.
“That bright example is what PDOIS has always focused on since its formation in 1986 to emphasize to the Gambian people that we were destined to build a principled political program based on the foundation of building one Gambia, one nation, and one people,” he added.
Hon Sillah further intimated that it is the duty of President Barrow to be balance between the Coalition members by listening to all “that is what he should do.
“But the ultimate decision should remain in his hands. We cannot say he should forcefully listen to everybody but we expect him to, as a gentleman. Because he is the one who symbolizes the Coalition…He is there because of the Coalition,” he said.
He said if President Barrow leads the example of honoring the agreement, “that will do him lot of good because he will stand the chance of winning the Mo Ibrahim prestigious award dedicated to great African Presidents.”
On whether the PDOIS has regretted not taking the donated vehicles to the parliamentarians, Hon Sillah said: “Our reason for not taking the vehicles still remains the same….We want to know the source of the vehicles and until that is known, we will not take the vehicles.
“PDOIS do not want to face a Commission of Inquiry. We want to make sure that we safeguard the tax payers’ money….And I believe Gambians should be aware enough to understand the decision that we have taken.”
Hon Sillah called on Gambians to be more vigilant, “if we want to avoid the reoccurrence of the past.”
