By Omar Bah
The United Democratic Party’s national congress has been slated for December 2018, the party’s spokesperson Almami Fanding Taal has confirmed to journalists Tuesday.
Members of the party will converge at a yet-to-be undisclosed venue to elect a new leadership for the country’s biggest political party.
“I would like to inform the general public that the UDP national congress will be in December this year. The date and time will be communicated in due course,” he said.
He said all Gambians who wish to join the United Democratic Party including the supporters of the former ruling APRC are “highly welcome with open arms”.
Mr Taal also disclosed that all the organs of the UDP, starting from the ward level to national level will go to congress to elect their executives in September and November ahead of the congress.
Mr Taal further informed the presser that the UDP has “written and respectfully asked the Gambia Government to consider declaring April 14, 15 and 16 as national martyrs’ days.
This, he said, is to honour the death of Solo Sandeng and the arrest of Ousainu Darboe, Fatoumata Jawara, Fatou Camara, Nogoi Njie, Lang Marong and other party supporters on the aforementioned dates.
The party has announced they will commemorate their founding in August but at a different date than 23 since that day will coincide with Eid-ul-Adha.
‘Not a Mandinka party’
Reacting to critics’ assertions that the UDP is a Mandinka party, deputy leader Aji Yamou Secka said such a labelling is unfair and untrue.
“UDP is not a Mandinka party. Ousainu Darboe is a Mandinka but I am the deputy leader and I am a Wolof. And I have not received any form of discrimination. I am a Wolof and the party’s national president of the women’s wing. And you have Adama Jallow, a Fula who is a second national president of the women’s wing, just to name a few. You all know Femi Peters, he was an Aku and he was an executive member of the party. UDP is a party for justice and democracy…”
