FORMER APRC VANGUARD TO FORM NEW PARTY

By Omar Bah Advised against associating himself with the opposition APRC, Omar Beyai, a former teacher, who recently told The Standard of his intention to take up the vacant leadership role of the APRC party, has now told the same medium that he will now form his own political party to be called the All People’s Party (APP). Beyai, who claimed to be pioneer vanguard of both the AFPRC and the APRC said yesterday: “I am coming clean with the support of some light-minded people and a steady group of dedicated friends who are specialists in economic policies, to form a new political party that will be clean with new faces,” he told The Standard yesterday. He said the party which will disclose its manifesto soon will be for the people and by the people and will serve the interest of every Gambian irrespective of tribe or party affiliation. “You see, it has become necessary and obvious that I have to abandon the APRC, because their records were so bad and the party’s popularity is diminishing by the minute. The party has a lot of issues that will affect the chances of any person who wants to lead it in the future,” he added. Mr Beyai further noted since the publication of his interview last week breaking the news that he was prepared to take the leadership of the APRC, friends and families both in and outside the country are phoning him informing him of their willingness to support him, but not as leader of the APRC. He went on: “Given all that, I am motivated to form the APP with immediate effect, because it has always been my wish to do so. I also want to assure the youth that the party will be theirs. I feel the young people of this country have been living in the dreams of promises that are never fulfilled by their politicians and I want to bring a stop to that. “I will welcome anyone from APRC, GDC, UDP or any other political party will be given a space in this party because the APP is going to be a party for the people, by the people and is also going to be purely a youth party.” Reacting to the newly appointed cabinet set up by President Barrow, Mr Beyai said: “To be specific when it comes to the new government I believe they are just trying to satisfy people. And to me, being in the coalition shouldn’t qualify you to be a minister if you are not qualified to be one”. He said the way the new government started is giving him the impression that Gambia has not decided yet, and until people like him become president, the country will remain undecided, because until then the interest of the masses will not be represented.]]>