By Omar Bah
An all-important meeting is being called tomorrow to shape the future of the Coalition 2016, the political grouping that defeated Yahya Jammeh a little over two years ago.
The meeting, to be held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, will be the first high-level meeting between the political forces that came together to achieve a historic election victory in December 2016.
In the build-up to the meeting, The Standard yesterday contacted all the stakeholders of the Coalition to confirm their attendance.
All except PDOIS confirmed they will attend the meeting.
Eddy Jallow, the PDOIS administrative secretary, told The Standard: “The PDOIS is not aware of any meeting. We were not informed. We are not in the picture and we are not going to attend. So we cannot comment. You may go to the initiator of the meeting and ask her about it. That is all I can say, because we don’t want to comment on something that we are not a party to.”
According to the initiator of the meeting, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, a former vice president who is credited to be the mother of coalition 2016, the meeting will discuss the coalition as well as the current position of the stakeholders, which will be transmitted to the President.
She was also quoted as saying President Barrow has agreed to come out to the media and tell the whole country the outcome of the meeting and that he has pledged to support their decision.
The former PPP leader Omar Jallow confirmed he will attend the meeting but refused to comment on whether he will maintain his position on the three-year agreement.
“I was consulted and I will attend but I don’t want to comment any further. I will make my position very clear during the meeting,” OJ said.
The Coalition 2016 was a coalition of political parties, and one independent candidate created to field and support a single candidate in the 2016 presidential election.
Adama Barrow, the then UDP candidate, reigned from his party to run as an independent candidate.
Observers said tomorrow’s meeting is crucial in light of the deepening mistrust between the President and some members of the coalition.
When it was formed, the following people were named as the governing body of the coalition:
Hamat Bah (NRP), Dembo Bojang (UDP), Ousainu Darboe (UDP), Mai Fatty (GMC), Pa Omar Faye (Ind), Modou Bamba Gaye (NRP), James Gomez (PPP), Omar A. Jallow (PPP), Samba Jallow (NRP), Musa Jeng (Ind), Muhammed Magassy (Ind), Fatoumatta Tambajang (Ind), Isatou Touray (Ind), Sainey Touray (UDP), Buba Ayi Sanneh (Ind), Halifa Sallah (PDOIS), Aji Yam Secka (UDP), Kebba F. Singhateh (Ind), Musa Sonko (NRP), Henry Gomez (GPDP) and Dr Lamin B. Bojang (NCP).
