By Omar Bah
UDP leader Ousainu Darboe has signalled conditional openness to an opposition united front ahead of the December presidential election, but with one uncompromising caveat that there will be no primaries to determine the flag-bearer.
Addressing a meeting on Saturday organised to welcome former presidential aspirant Alhagie Suwareh to the UDP, Mr Darboe said his party remained open to a united front.
He explained: “Whether it is an alliance or coalition, we are open to it on principles, because the whole world over, the party with the majority is the one that leads and anybody wanting to deny the UDP that, you want to delegitimise our position. We will not accept that. And I must say categorically that the UDP will not go to a convention.
“I have had that experience with NADD [the National Alliance for Democracy and Development, an opposition alliance formed in 2005]. When it came to the nomination of flag-bearer, parties ganged together and denied us the flag-bearership. When I realised they were fighting over it I decided to withdraw and allow them to have an opportunity among themselves to do whatever they wanted to do. We are not going to get to a convention level and say we are withdrawing. We are not going to do that.”
Darboe stated that parties that want to join the UDP are welcome to do so but those that want to sit at the table can look elsewhere.
“Coalitions must not be formed just because you want to share power. They must be based on principles and programmes,” he said.
Further justifying his point, Darboe added that local political pundits have repeatedly said there cannot be a viable or successful coalition without the UDP.
“If you accept that reality, please let us forget about our individual parties and come together because to be quite candid, for the time being, the UDP is the only credible vehicle that can lead the change of government in this country,” he stated.
He said the primary objective should not be about him being president but to make sure the country is rescued. “No man lives here permanently. Before December 5th, I didn’t wish for it and I know nobody in the UDP will wish for it but I may not be alive to witness that day but the UDP will be here and the UDP will select a substitute flag-bearer. This is why I said my presidency is secondary and the UDP to lead is the primary objective and that is what we all believe in.”
He urged the opposition to come and partner with the UDP to rescue the country.
“If we do that we will all have positions but if anyone is talking about power sharing as a primary objective, then that person doesn’t love this country but is looking for a position. That is not fair to the Gambian people. What is fair to the Gambian people is for us to rescue this country.”
