Speaking to The Standard yesterday, the head of the former ruling party said: “Our doors are open and we will continue to engage other opposition parties if they are honest and want change in this country. Each party knows that it cannot do it alone, then let us please join the alliance, come together, sign a memorandum of understanding and use that as a basis of our campaign throughout The Gambia for the next one-and-half years before elections. We should come with a single candidate to lead the alliance to be able to effect change.
“People in The Gambia should know that it is not the politicians alone who can bring change. That is the unfortunate nature of Gambians. The only two most effective institutions that are fighting for change are the media and politicians; there are very important professional bodies that refuse to take up their role seriously to stand up and speak out. We as opposition, especially the PPP, since 1994 we have been trying to bring the opposition under one umbrella. It is only through a united front, we can bring meaningful change in the political dispensation in this country. We are not discouraged, and will never give up. Presently, we have a very strong coalition between UDP and PPP. “
Asked whether he realistically thinks such an alliance would be able to dislodge the APRC from power, the former agriculture minister said: “There is more opportunity and possibility in an alliance than an individual party contesting elections. We should take history and the past as experiences. Ousainou Darboe and I will continue to engage other political parties to fulfill the aspirations of thousands of Gambians who look on to us not only for leadership but meaningful change. We can only achieve change if we are committed, and matured.
He claimed: “All the present institutions that make the present government to function properly and effectively, economic or political-wise, were established by the PPP key among them is the Central Bank, Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, Gambia Ports Authority, Gamtel, National Water Electricity Company, Gambia Collage, GTTI, MDI. These are institutions established by the PPP not the APRC government.”
On his recent trip, he explained: “I was away on a two-month tour of US, Europe. I was with Bakary Dabo. It was one of the most successful tours ever conducted by PPP in the 19 years of APRC regime. We were invited by the Diaspora Gambians to meet Gambians in the Diaspora, discuss with them on needs to revitalise the PPP, the party that brought The Gambia to self-government, independence and republicanism and the party refused the proposal of the colonialists to merge The Gambia with Senegal but insisted to stand as sovereign independent state. PPP had transformed The Gambia from a poor impoverished country to a model democracy in West Africa.”
By Sainey Marenah
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