The opposition United Democratic Party said it views with “great concern” President Macky Sall’s announcement of the postponement of the presidential elections scheduled for 25th February 2024 at the eleventh hour.
In a statement signed by it’s senior administrative secretary, Tombong Saidy, the Ousainu Darboe led party charged that postponing a scheduled presidential election is sending the wrong signals across the sub-region.
The party said it firmly believes that given the historical ties between The Gambia and Senegal, any major upheaval in Senegal will have ramifications for the Gambia and the West African sub-region.
“Considering President Macky Sall’s seminal work in the restoration of democracy in The Gambia in 2017 following the defeat of Yahya Jammeh in December of 2016 and his successive chairmanship of Ecowas and the African Union portrays him as a great champion of democracy in Africa in general and the West Africa sub-region in particular. For these reasons, UDP regards President Sall’s statement of 3rd February 2024 as a significant backsliding on the democratic gains the sub-region has registered since the early 1990s. Therefore, UDP respectfully urges President Sall to reconsider his decision and to be mindful of his legacy as a democratic leader in Africa,” the statement concluded.
