By Mafugi Ceesay
Papa Njie, leader of the former ruling People’s Progressive Party, has said in a Standard exclusive that their visit to the presidency wasn’t meant to sell his party to President Adama Barrow.
He said their visit, among other things, was to officially introduce him as party to the President and to thank him for honoring the late former president Sir Dawda Jawara.
“We are part of the coalition but that does not mean in any way we are endorsing him for the 2021 presidential election.
And now we should concentrate on developing the country and also concentrate on helping government when it faults,” Njie said.
He said PPP is ready to coalesce with any party but it will have to be in their best interest.
“PPP is open and will never burn bridges between us and other parties.”
He said PPP supports Barrow’s five-year term, saying electoral reforms, constitutional review, security sector reform are issues that must be completed before the next election.
He said the party hopes that before the 2021 election, all the reforms will be completed so that the ground will be levelled going into the next election.
He said without that, a party can get 30 percent and still forms the next government.
He said: “How would that government work? It would not work, so at least the second round voting will ensure that any party that forms the government, 51 percent plus will support you; that’s democracy, and that’s what we want to instill in everybody’s mind.
If Barrow fails it is the coalition that fails, and it’s the people who made him Barrow and if he fails it is the country that fails because he is representing the country.”
