By Omar Bah
The opposition Gambia Moral Congress has issued a statement yesterday condemning attacks against its leader Mai Ahmad Fatty. The party is responding to political Science lecturer and analyst, Essa Njie branding its leader as an “inconsistent politician”.
“Our attention is directed to the mountain of attacks directed at our party leader since his interview with journalists where he expressed his personal views about President Barrow. GMC is already aware as to the segment of the political opposition base where such distortions overwhelming emanate from, and we are not disappointed,” the statement, signed by Sekou Jammeh, acting GMC spokesperson, read.
The attacks against Mai, the party added, are not evidence based.
“They are malicious and politically motivated. They are the words of political adversaries calculated to politically undermine the good name of our leader before both his allies and the general public. GMC has in the past criticised elements of the economic policies of the Barrow administration, and will continue to express concerns we perceive in governance. Pointing out the deficiencies our leadership perceived in the affairs of our country in the past, does not and will not bar us from commending the Barrow Government in areas where we believe successes were achieved.
“We consider those success elements in the Barrow government as those areas where policy convergence exists between GMC and Government. The fact that Hon. Fatty may have expressed different view publicly against some policies of Government does not identify him later to commend the same Government in other successful policy areas. That is honest, mature and proper,” the party added.
Mr Fatty, GMC added, is the most consistent politician in this country.
“His recent support for President Barrow’s tolerance as a leader and his respect for due process rights are evidence based, and do not in any way retract from previous concerns he raised relating to economic and governance issues,” it added.
The party said President Barrow’s tolerance “is not only reflected in his governance style but in bringing people into his government who did not even want him to be sworn-in as President in 2017”.
“It is a fact that The Gambia is one of the freest countries in the world with no political prisoners with an explosion of free media. Economic hardships aside, this can be asserted and will not raise an inconsistency. GMC does not believe in the politics of permanent hostility, dishonesty and recrimination.
“Elections are over, and we are ready to move on. GMC is also aware that a sizeable number of Gambian opposition supporters were unhappy with the results of the Presidential elections, and as such evoking the memories of that election depresses many. Let us move beyond sentiments and embrace reconciliation. GMC supports the President’s efforts at national reconciliation and we are ready work with Government as an opposition to solve the challenges facing our country.”
Meanwhile, Mr Fatty himself has shared a writeup with The Standard reacting to Mr Njie’s comments.
He wrote: “Criticising the president in the past on economic policies does not mean I cannot later say the good things I know he did. That’s not being inconsistent. It’s being honest and factual. According to Mr. Njie, I do not deserve to exercise my constitutional right to freedom of expression of my views in that I should “stop writing and stop talking”. Well, I hear you. Many will soon learn that I don’t subdue to criticism, personal attacks or threats.
“I have long accepted that in politics your adversaries can go really very stinky. Mr. Njie is not alone in this. There are those out there who will never see anything good in me, and who made up their minds already about that. That’s ok in politics.”
