Dear Editor,
Executive Summary
As the 2026 presidential elections approach, the strategic potential of a coalition between the National People’s Party (NPP) and the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) has captured national attention. What follows is an in-depth exploration of how such an alliance could be a game‑changer—for HE President Adama Barrow, Hon Mama Kandeh, and the Gambian people.
1. Strategic Synergy for Electoral Strength
Expanded Voter Reach: The NPP maintains robust support in urban areas and among the establishment, while the GDC, under Mama Kandeh, resonates strongly with rural, youth, and grassroots voters. A coalition combines organisational strength with passionate mobilisation.
Vote Consolidation: This alliance could neutralise fragmentation in opposition or ruling camps, assembling a unified front that commands broader voter trust and legitimacy in 2026.
2. National unity & political cohesion
Bridging Divides: A public collaboration between President Barrow and Mama Kandeh sends a powerful signal of unity—showing that Gambian leaders can transcend personal ambitions for the collective good.
Peaceful Political Climate: A harmonised approach anticipates reduced election-related tensions, promoting calm and encouraging investor confidence ahead of and following 2026.
3. Complementary policy priorities
Shared Goals: Both parties champion development, youth empowerment, transparency, and decentralisation.
Mutual Reinforcement: The GDC’s insistence on transparency and governance could strengthen NPP’s infrastructure and social projects, ensuring better oversight. Simultaneously, the NPP’s administrative capacity can help scale up GDC’s job creation and rural upliftment initiatives.
4. Democratic maturation
Collaborative Leadership: Forming a coalition from positions of strength, not desperation, signifies political maturity—where cooperation is valued over division.
Inspiring Public Trust: Such synergy can rekindle hope in Gambian youth and disengaged voters, showing that politics can align with purpose and service.
5. Risks and mitigation strategies
Leadership Balance: Clear agreement on decision-making, campaign roles, and shared agenda is vital to prevent friction.
Managing Expectations: Transparent public communication regarding policy priorities and seat-sharing will maintain support and prevent internal rifts.
6. A legacy beyond 2026
Historic Partnership: If managed with vision and integrity, the alliance between two major Gambian movements would mark a turning point. It would demonstrate that political collaboration can meaningfully drive development and national harmony.
Long-Term Governance: Beyond electoral victory, this could lay the groundwork for lasting stability, institutional reform, and democratic resilience.
Final Thoughts
An NPP–GDC alliance offers a compelling narrative: two leaders—Barrow and Kandeh—choosing common purpose over rivalry, strategic unity over division. If realised, this coalition could bolster governance, business confidence, and national progress, making it not just a campaign tactic but a bold step in The Gambia’s evolving democracy.
The time ahead is critical: will ambition yield to unity? For the sake of development, democracy, and national cohesion, the Tamba to Kuntaur road ahead demands.
Mballow Banna
Better late than never
Dear Editor,
Only if these nations, more so the UK had taken the appropriate action on Israel since 1917 when they handed over Palestine to the Zionists as a homeland for Jews. In their Balfour Declaration, the British stated categorically that the rights of the indigenous people should be protected and not damaged. But since then, the UK abandoned its responsibilities to allow Zionists and bigots to ravage the Palestinian population ever since. The UK instead went further to arm Israel to further entrench the dispossession and occupation of Palestine.
Further, in 1947 when the UN created the State of Israel under Resolution 181, it was categorically stated that the rights of Palestinians to an independent state is also guaranteed which the UN and member states were required to protect. Since then the US, UK, France, Germany and the rest of Europe for the most part aided and abetted Israel to flout the UN resolution and all other resolutions until we have what we have today: Genocide.
Thus, these western nations are as complicit as Israel, and they must take responsibility to correct their misconduct and malpractices. They should not just sanction 2 individuals but should go further to sanction the entire Israeli state, suspend all aid especially military aid, and tell Israel in no uncertain terms to withdraw to the 1967 borders.
Failure to do so, they should mobilise their military to use force to push the Israeli occupation forces out of Palestine as they did to former Yugoslavian forces under Milosevic to protect Kosovars in Serbia or Iraq forces under Saddam Hussain when they invaded Kuwait.
If not, then their sanctions are meaningless! The hypocrisy and double standards have to end.
Madi Jobarteh
Kembujeh
