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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 24 Aug 2023 : 15:24:05
UDP clocks 27
The Point: Aug 24, 2023
By: Sankulleh Girbil Janko
https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/udp-clocks-27
Opposition leader Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has dilated on series of national concern as United Democratic Party UDP commemorated 27 years of existence on Wednesday.
He also paid tribute to the party’s founding fathers and those who lost their lives throughout these moments.
It is exactly 27 years since the party was formed on 23rd August, 1996.
The party leader recalled his first statement on 23rd August 1996, which was centred on the principles of democracy.
In a low key anniversary gathering at the party's headquarters in Manjai, the veteran lawyer spoke on various issues concerning the party and the country and a whole.
He paid tribute to founding members, past and present as well as those who were in the forefront of the struggle with a special mentioned of Solo Sandeng and a host of others.
He reiterated his party’s commitment to the constitutional reform process.
Darboe called for a constitution that will avail the National Assembly more power to scrutinise political appointments.
On appointment of ministers, Inspector General of Police and other important positions, the UDP leader believes such appointments should be subject to parliamentary approval.
The UDP Secretary General also decried alleged corruption scandals, citing revelations made by the Auditor General’s report on certain corruption reports and others as a concern.
On freedom of expression and of the press, the party leader alleged that the press is “gradually being muscled.” He frowned upon what he described as threats on King FM and the treatment of Kerr Fatou for deprivation.
He called for a fully press freedom country, adding that the party’s National Assembly Members will support free press discussions in parliament.
On the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Darboe called for more competent and trusted people as members of the electoral body.
On agriculture, he called for food security while urging for better education system.
“We must invest in agriculture,” Darboe emphasised.
Darboe described roads in The Gambia as substandard and called for better road infrastructure.
He called for better and quality education that will not be donor driven.
He seemingly did not approve Gambia relying mainly on Senegalese power supplier Senelec for electricity supply while calling for better initiative for a regular electricity supply.
“We cannot continue to rely on Senelec,” Darboe asserted. The opposition leader also called on the authorities to stabilise the economy with a special emphasis on the need to address the issue of inflation. |
| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 25 Aug 2023 : 11:37:42
DARBOE CLAIMS GAMBIAN ELECTIONS HAVE CREDIBILITY QUESTIONS SINCE 1996
The Standard: August 25, 2023
By Tabora Bojang
https://standard.gm/darboe-claims-gambian-elections-have-credibility-questions-since-1996/
The leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party has claimed that all the elections conducted in The Gambia since 1996 have been marred by questions of credibility and transparency, including the 2016 presidential election that ousted former president Yahya Jammeh from office.
Speaking at the party’s 27th anniversary Wednesday, Ousainu Darboe said a credible, free and fair election is a cornerstone for any true democracy to thrive and be sustained. He said the absence of inclusive elections could be attributed to weak electoral administrators who lack credibility, integrity and moral fibre to stand up against the wishes of power.
“We have seen from 1996 up to date that the credibility of elections in this country has been put in question. Even in the 2016 presidential election, Yahya Jammeh has put the integrity of that election into question. We need to have men of honour, we need to have men who are knowledgeable and have integrity in order that our elections will be certified as one that passes the test of integrity. If I hear people say we want strong institutions, I always say, no! There is no strong institution, instead it is strong men that make the institutions strong. When the men who are heading the institutions are themselves weak, or lack the moral fibre, when they cannot stand against the wishes of power, then those institutions themselves will become ineffective because the people managing them are not men of integrity who can stand up and say to an executive that what you are doing is wrong and we cannot really tolerate it,” Mr Darboe charged.
Media freedom
The UDP leader also accused President Barrow of using former president Jammeh’s draconian media laws to muzzle media houses he perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition.
“The same methods and laws used by Jammeh to suppress the media are still in our law books and Barrow could apply them anytime he wishes. Indeed, they are using them and the press is being gradually muzzled. We have seen what happened to King FM being threatened by Pura that certain actions will be taken against them if they do not conform to certain standards and what those standards were remain to be told. We have seen the cries of Kerr Fatou that they have been deprived of their sources of income because they have been described and characterised as a UDP platform. But, in fact after all, is there anything wrong for any media house to belong to a political party? We have seen this all over the world where media houses are aligned to political parties and they carry the messages and propagate the philosophy of those political parties. So, Kerr Fatou is not a UDP platform but even if it is, what is wrong with that in a democratic society?” Darboe asked.
According to Darboe, there are, on the contrary, other “media houses and radio stations that are very much anti-UDP, trying each day to bring disunity” in the party but nobody questions those media houses.
“The freedom of the press in this country is very crucial. The struggle of the UDP throughout this country has been that there must be a responsible press and I must say that the Gambian press has been very responsible. It is only that irresponsible governments are really taking issues with them because this responsible press would not act in an unresponsive manner to support an irresponsible government,” he said.
Tribute to fallen heroes
Darboe also paid an emotional tribute to ‘fallen UDP heroes’ who died in the struggle to install sanity and true democratic governance in The Gambia including Solo Sandeng, Femi Peters, Ansumana Dibba, Sam Sillah, Sukai Dahaba, Ebrima Janko Ceesay and Lamin Dibba among others.
“We have to remember them and pay tribute to them so that what they struggle for is an enduring legacy that we cannot dissipate, a legacy we cannot squander.” |
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