The former Basse MP added: “The Kiang West by-election, we (APRC) received seven applicants, one is a woman and our party stood by her and she contested under the APRC ticket and won against her male counterpart. This shows the commitment our party leader and the APRC attach to women’s effective particiaption in politics and national development. It is not that our party don’t want to empower women but women should be prepared and bold enough to say that they are going to contest in elections against men or women. Let’s be frank to one another, the way The Gambia is going in terms of women’s empowernment initaives including leadership roles, is on track. Let’s encourage them. One day, we must reach there. There is no law that barred women from standing as presidential candidates in elections. So what’s holding them?”
He called for dialogue among political parties to settle their differences as “The Gambia belongs to all. My own uncle, Sedia Jatta is leader of opposition PDOIS and I have never opposed Uncle Sedia despite our party differences in my life time. Politics is a win-win situation. Today is my turn, tomorrow is someone’s turn.”
According to APRC administrative Secretary, “democracy is about choice”, citing himself being voted out of office.
The former Basse NAM, who lost his seat to an independent candidate in the 2012 parliamentary elections, added: “Any party or government that comes to power comes with policies and strategies that will guide them and your people must support that party’s policy. Take for example in The Gambia, APRC forms the majority in the parliament and we must support those policies and programmes that are in place and then if they failed in their duty… For example, if PDOIS comes to power, they must lay down their programmes and policies and we support them in the parliament, if they hold the majority seat.”
Author: Sainey Marenah
]]>
