By Amadou Jadama
Ebrima Tabora Manneh, the leader of the opposition People’s Alliance Party (PAP) has called on opposition parties and their leaders to put their egos aside and form a credible coalition against the incumbent in the December election.
“If we want to have a national coalition, we must let go of our egos and focus on the interest of the country. Gambians are suffering a lot and they are waiting to hear from us to come up with a solution. So as opposition parties we have to be very sincere, genuine and serious if we have to come into a coalition,” Manneh told The Standard.
However according to the PAP leader, there is still reason to believe that there will be a compromise between the main opposition UDP and other parties, adding that there is no doubt there will be a coalition that represents the interest of Gambians before June or July 2016.
According to him, PAP is currently engaged in dialogue with some opposition parties and they will accord the same olive branch to all other opposition parties. “Yes we may go into these discussions with the objective to lead the coalition but we would not mind to make compromises for the sake of the country. At the end of the day, the country is bigger than any individual or political party including the NPP,” Manneh said.
He further observed that some of the opposition parties are making lots of noise about coalition but they are not truly ready for it. “For us, we are taking our time. We are not rushing but we are ready and willing to compromise with those who have the interest of the country at heart,” he said.
Manneh also emphasised that any coalition building must be guided by fairness in the sense that each party’s weight, advantages and programmes are considered, discussed and put into context. “If you are doing an investment and people want to come together for a partnership, if someone brings D10 million, another brings D1 million and another brings D100, 000, you cannot say they should be equal in the merger or in the investment. Coalitions should also take these things into account, “he said.
