By Omar Bah
The spokesperson of the United Democratic Party has said that his party is not threatened by the coming of President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party or any other political party.
“I don’t see how we can feel threatened by somebody like Barrow whose record is under review by Gambians who are not necessarily UDP supporters; who have expressed disappointment over several failures under his leadership,” Almamy Fanding Taal told The Standard yesterday.
Taal said the UDP’s performance in recent elections clearly demonstrates that “no political party can match the UDP in terms of numbers. This is an important point; we must be very clear about the fact that a competition between political parties is always settled at elections. So we welcome and encourage political parties but we are clear also that Gambian people are watching very closely as to who is working for them and who is not and based on that, we wish the President well,” he added.
The UDP spokesperson said his party will have the opportunity to advocate for even better protection for political parties when the constitution is subjected to a referendum.
“We are very confident that during these processes, we will have an opportunity to advocate for even better constitutional protection for political parties because political parties would nurture and sponsor a candidate and then that candidate, if he has his way he does as he pleases. I don’t think that helps nurture or strengthen political parties,” he added.
Dembo ‘By force’
Reacting to the UDP former national president’s resignation, Taal said Dembo Bojang is a Gambian patriot who has served the country very well since the first republic.
“But you will remember in 2018 we had a congress and he was elected as the National President of the party but since that election, he had chosen not to work with the party or perform any of his mandates according to the UDP constitution. We had actually engaged him and told him he cannot be the National President of the party and fail to participate in the activities of the party,” PRO Taa said.
He said one example was that the party had a rally in Bakau and Mr Bojang didn’t show up.
“So, we wrote to him and told him that if he is not responding to us, perhaps it was time he does the honourable thing and resign. So, really his departure has not been felt at all because he has never filled the position as we expected,” he added.
Taal continued: “There is nothing he has taken away from the UDP; even in Bakau itself as you will see in the coming 2021 election. I think Alhagie Dembo Bojang has passed his best days and should have been in retirement now. And in fact the senior members of the party have respected him a lot and have gone to his house to talk to him but he decided to avoid. But letters were sent to him through his family.”
