In response to Coalition’s WCR Media Team Chairperson Essa Dampha
Dear editor,
I write on behalf of the GDC to respond and nail the distortions against Hon Kandeh made by the chairperson of the Coalition media team in the West Coast Region (WCR.
Essa Dampha misses the mark in all his counts on his recent article chastising Mamma Kandeh on a lame and feeble point bearing no substance. First of all, he is wrong or perhaps a political novice to think that, Hon. Kandeh’s remarks against Barrow to step down to save his image hence he could not rely on his coalition colleagues for good advice qualifies him as “politically immature”, if that criticism from Hon Kandeh is his definition of political immaturity, then the term needs revisiting.
Let me put this point across, that Hon. Kandeh is a gentle and an idealistic kind of a politician who has been a legislator for 10 years and later formed a party that quickly captures the hearts and minds of Gambians within a short span, the party he leads is the biggest opposition party in The Gambia today—and within 2 years, the party has 5 legislative seats and 25 councilor seats, and gaining momentum daily, if Kandeh was immature politically as your wrongly alluded, then the successful records above wouldn’t have materialized. And the GDC would have been at a relegated bottom with no influence and little known by Gambians. But that’s not the case, Hon. Kandeh’s astuteness and political maturity coupled with his hard efforts and that of his executive committee got the GDC where it is today.
Secondly, he is wrong on his analogy in thinking and distorting the fact, that the GDC turned their back on the people when they were needed to join the coalition. Let me remind him, that the whole coalition process was a sham, thus the reason why it is unproductive and in disarray at the moment, the GDC realizes a foul play during the talks and we signaled a concern but got brushed off. The playing field wasn’t leveled to advantage all parties, the process was manufactured to favor UDP above all parties and that is why, all the delegates that casted their votes, voted overwhelmingly on party line for an incompetent and an unprepared candidate.
The whole process lacks integrity and fairness and this is why we opted out. We pursued going solo for we were confident, that our position will be a tactical one, it will help to weaken the APRC base which will ultimately give rise to either our party or the coalition. Genuine analyst have critically concluded, that if not for GDC, APRC government would still have been in place, this takes a deep thinking and careful analysis to know the basic logic. We played a crucial factor in the defeat of Jammeh.
In that connection however, Mr Dampha also charged, that Hon. Kandeh’s recent pronouncement against President Barrow is an act to seek for a cheap attention. As far as seeking for cheap attention is concern Mr Dampha is the very one suited on that description, for attacking the GDC leadership In his own little mind will make him popular.
The GDC for your information have always been there for Gambians. Our tactical position led to the weakness of APRC, giving rise to the coalition in 2016 presidential election. And our vital and participation during the impasse gave the coalition a tremendous bearing eventuating Jammeh’s claim to lack strength and vitality. It would have been a different scenario if GDC were to act otherwise. Mr Dampha is wrong also in thinking that Hon Kandeh was serving Jammeh as a legislator, Hon Kandeh was elected to represent the people of his constituency-Jimara and by extension the nation. If he was a rubber stamp law maker, he wouldn’t have split ways with Jammeh to ultimately form a party to end his reign.
GDC however, believes in effective governmental action and this is why, we are able to build over 100 boreholes, erect footbridges and others which are necessary and dear to the hearts of the people. And this should be the job of the government.
In evaluating what the government did and my party for the people, I’ll proudly lean on my party’s record to indicate to you, that the GDC care more and have done more for the people than the government of the day. And in contrast; if there’s any tangible development or project registered so far by the government, kindly point them out for Gambians have not seen any substantive progress beneficial to them, and this is why there is a growing impatience over the government’s snail pace movement thus Hon. Kandeh’s remarks of him stepping down.
MC Cham Jnr
GDC National Youth Mobiliser
