The Gambia Democratic congress, GDC, has dismissed a recent criticism reported by UDP leader and Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe Hon. Ousainou Darboe of their leader Mamma Kandeh.
According to the GDC Darboe was said to have accused Mamma Kandeh of making irresponsible remarks of corruption allegations against the Coalition government.
GDC claimed Darboe, who was speaking on an online radio interview, also said that Mamma Kandeh had supported one of Africa’s most corrupt regimes (APRC) under Yahya Jammeh.
In their response, a GDC official MC Cham Junior, said: “Mamma Kandeh is an honest and genuine politician who is fighting for the rights of Gambians. He has the right to accuse the government of any wrong-doing especially in cases involving misuse of government resources such as embezzlement of public funds, etc.
Kandeh made the allegations and it is the duty of the government to clarify to the public by showing evidence that no money was embezzled before accusing Hon. Mama Kandeh of making irresponsible remarks against them. Let government proof it first before making noise on the allegations.
“Hon. Kandeh’s love for the Gambian people and The Gambia is unquestionable. Anything he does in politics is for the interest of the Gambians.
He is an opposition leader and has seen something that is going wrong. He has all rights to talk about it.
“Secondly, on Darboe’s allegations of Hon. Mamma Kandeh supporting Yahya Jammeh, I will say that Mama Kandeh was expelled from APRC because he did not agreed with all that the former president Yahya Jammeh was doing. Hon. Kandeh was elected by the people of Jimara Constituency to represent them at the National Assembly under the then ruling party APRC but he was not appointed by Yahya Jammeh. When he saw the wrong direction that Yahya Jammeh was leading the country to, he challenged him and he was expelled from the ruling APRC party.
If Mama Kandeh supported Jammeh, how about Dr Sedat Jobe, former Foreign Affairs minister who was appointed by the former president Yahya Jammeh?
Dr Sedat Jobe is now serving as The Gambian Ambassador to France.
Why would Ousainou Darboe champion Hon. Abdoulie Bojang, former Speaker of the National Assembly who voted for the motion to declare a State of Emergency in The Gambia just to undermine President Adama Barrow’s victory and supported Yahya Jammeh to continue ruling the country illegally?
“According to Ousainou Darboe, he recommended Hon. Abdoulie Bojang’s appointment who is now serving as an Ambassador to South Africa by the Coalition government he was once opposing. The current Secretary General Dawda Fadera was working under Yahya Jammeh.
Hon. Suku Singhateh was an APRC party executive and National Assembly member who was with former president Jammeh throughout his regime but despite all that he is now with the UDP and accepted by Darboe.
Again recently, Lawyer Darboe himself called on APRC supporters to join the UDP. The list continues.
Hon. Kandeh is on the right track and Government should be open to criticism and ensure accountability and transparency. That is what we need in a new democratic Gambia.”
