By Omar Bah
The deputy leader of the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress has said that the GPDP is ready to take over the leadership of the country.
Speaking at a press conference recently at the GPDP political bureau in Churchill’s Town, Fatoumatta Darboe Gomes said her party is coming with force and determination to rule the country.
“As we speak we are only aiming for the presidency. We are very confident that by the help of God we will rule this country in the not too long-distant future. We are coming with force. We want to take over this country because we have seen that time after time as a country, we have been struggling with leadership,” she said.
Madam Darboe added: “The party was formed in 2004 with the aim of ending dictatorship in the Gambia through a democratic way. We could not contest as party since then because our leader was not in the country. In 2006, we went to the IEC to present our candidature, but we were disqualified by the IEC because our leader was not in the country five years prior to the election.”
“This was why we joined a Coalition with NRP and UDP in 2006. We also joined another Coalition that was led by Hamat Bah in 2011 and the recent all-important Coalition that gave birth to the new Gambia and eventually ending dictatorship in the Gambia. And also we knew that no individual party could defeat Jammeh alone,” she said.
She said although GPDP as a political party has never taken part in an election alone, “We are confident that we have all it takes to rule this country and bring the needed development to the doorstep of every Gambian.”
Asked whether the GPDP was living in the shadow of the UDP, Madam Darboe Gomes said: “No. That has not been the case. I want to make it very clear that we have never been in the shadows of any party or dependent on any political party. We could not participate solely because our party leader was not qualified to lead the party.”
On the local government election, Madam Darboe Gomes disclosed that the GPDP has already identified 25 candidates across the country for the local government elections.
She said their selection of candidates was properly vetted and that their candidates are very competent and capable of transforming their various wards.
For the mayoral election, Madam Darboe said the party is yet to finalize their candidates.
Meanwhile, the GPDP deputy spokesperson, Abdoulie Mendy said the party has turned a new page towards changing the way politics is practised in the country.
“We want to change the game. Change the game in the sense of being transparent and honest. Gone are those days when politicians will just talk and people will clap and dance. We are ready to lead. But it would depend on the Gambian people to decide whether they would vote for us or other parties which will end up enslaving them,” he concluded.
