By Omar Bah
The leader of the Gambia Moral Congress has said that although his party will continue to support the Coalition, it will not stop them from strengthening for the future.
“As at now we are concerned about strengthening our party’s structures. That is our focus. We are part of the Coalition government but that will not preclude us from strengthening our party. They go together because before the Coalition, GMC existed,” he told journalists at the GMC bureau on Kairaba Avenue.
The Coalition, he added is a composition of different political parties. “Other political parties in the Coalition and their leaders are doing their activities. Nobody had a problem with that. I do not think anybody would have a problem if the GMC is also conducting its internal politics.
“This is fair. If anybody has a problem with that, it will be very ingenious and dishonest. If there is political maturity that should be okay, but if political maturity is lacking of course there will be some people who might take it as a source of friction among leaders themselves, but for us we are fully behind the Coalition government. But we will continue to strengthen our political party to the fullest and we will not compromise on that. Nothing will stop that,” he asserted.
On the GMC congress
The former Interior minister said his party’s congress slated for this weekend will be a “a milestone because this is the first major political activity by a political party since the dawn of the new Gambia. It is also the first major political activity that will put a test to the strength of our new-found democracy.
“It is also going to be a game-changer because for the first time in the history of our party we will have representation from every part of the country which will significantly demonstrate our party is a broad-based mass political party and a movement that is meant for the people,” he explained.
“We will also validate an amended constitution that is already drafted and it is consonant with our new-found democracy. There will be symposiums, lectures and seminars all geared towards expanding the democratic space in the country,” he said.
He continued: “I am going to contest again for the leadership and I believe there are two other candidates who are also vying for the leadership.”
On whether his party will be able to cope with the increasing number of political parties in the country, Mr Fatty said the more political groupings the more informed and empowered the citizens will be.
“I welcome that decision and see it as very positive. It is going to measure the success of the Gambian democracy to have many stakeholders as possible in the process and GMC would like to be part of that process as well. So for us, we feel it is a great opportunity for our country and we should embrace and welcome the resurgence of the democratic consciousness among Gambians,” he said.
