 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Oct 2011 : 00:15:33
|
THE POINT NEWS Waa Juwara ‘not surprised’ by opposition pact failure
"Thursday, October 20, 2011
Lamin Waa Juwara, one-time strong opposition leader and now Governor of the Lower River Region, has said that the failure in talks by leaders of seven opposition parties to come together, ahead of the presidential election next month, did not come to him as a surprise.
“I’m not surprised at all that the opposition have failed to agree on a united front after weeks of talks,” Juwara told this paper in an interview yesterday, noting that the failure is a repeat of what happened in 2005, when the NADD alliance disintegrated.
“If they could walk out of the NADD alliance after all that we struggled for, they will obviously do the same with their so-called talks, and that is why I am saying that it has not come as a surprise to me,” he said.
A long-time past critic of the ruling APRC party, Juwara shifted his allegiance to the APRC in 2008, two years after the NADD alliance, of which he was then a member, lost the 2006 presidential election to incumbent President Yahya Jammeh.
Jammeh, who will be seeking a fourth term in office in the November polls, has said that his victory is a foregone conclusion, and that he would not engage in any campaign ahead of the polls.
His ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), looking very much comfortable, has set its focus in three key opposition strongholds in the Lower River Region, notably the constituencies of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central with a view to capturing them.
The constituencies of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central have, since the advent of the July 22nd Revolution in 1994, been key opposition strongholds and any shift in their political allegiance will mean a lot in the country’s political history, political analysts have said.
“It makes no sense for the opposition to talk of a united front with just a month to the forthcoming presidential election, because it is a joke,” Juwara, also a former Niamina Dankunku parliamentarian, added.
While calling on Gambians not to listen to the opposition and come out in their large numbers to vote, Waa Juwara, predicted a landslide victory for President Jammeh.
“This is the reality on the ground, the opposition are not winners because people have lost confidence in them,” he said.
It would be recalled that leaders from the opposition UDP, PDOIS, NRP, NADD, GMC, PPP and GPDP held weeks of talks, between September and October this year, on fielding a single candidate against Jammeh, but the talks foundered with no agreement on who should put up the candidate.
While some political analysts say the November polls will now bring together a fragmented opposition, whose only option is to unite against incumbent President Jammeh, others say even with less than three months to go, it is not too late for the opposition parties to bury their differences and come together in an alliance if the right actions and decisions are taken.
Latest figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission show that a total of 796,929 are eligible to vote in the scheduled polls.
Author: Baboucarr Senghore"
RELATED BANTABA TOPICS;
|
Edited by - kobo on 21 Oct 2011 18:22:15 |
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2011 : 00:36:23
|
DAILY OBSERVER NEWS Juwara hits hard at the opposition ...Says they are responsible for their own demise
"Thursday, October 20, 2011
Veteran politician and current governor of the Lower River Region (LRR) has once again written-off the country’s opposition, saying that they have ‘killed themselves’ by failing to demonstrate sincerity and truthfulness to Gambians.
Lamin Waa Juwara, a seasoned administrator in local governance was speaking from his Mansakonko residence Tuesday during an exclusive telephone interview with the Daily Observer.
Juwara’s comment is coming a few days after opposition parties reportedly failed in their series of meetings to reach a consensus of fielding a single candidate to challenge the incumbent President Yahya Jammeh in the forthcoming November 24th Presidential Election.
The LRR governor, who was an influential and outspoken opposition strongman before he switched allegiance to the ruling party in 2008, described attempts by the opposition to come together as a political gimmick meant to provide a reason for their ‘imminent’ failure at the November polls.
He said: “Whether a united front or not, His Excellency President Jammeh is going to secure a landslide victory. The people are very sick and tired of the opposition trying to come together. Which serious minded opposition will want to come together just one month before election?”
Juwara, known in political circles as ‘Mbarodi’ recalled that before the last general election, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by all the opposition political parties, but they failed in their attempt due to [disagreement] over issues of leadership.
“The [United Democratic Party] UDP’s Darboe was responsible because he appended his signature to the MOU and walked away unceremoniously before a leader could be selected in a primary,” he stated.
Asked his take on Darboe’s proposal to the opposition camp for a party-led alliance, apparently his UDP to lead the challenge, Juwara said: “I think it is nonsense to talk about a party led-alliance. Here they are talking about a credible candidate chosen by the people.
It is not a party that is going to be a candidate, but an individual who should be selected by the people. But Darboe is always trying to run away from this fact. I think Darboe is a waste of time; he has failed three times and therefore should not be a candidate for any serious organisation.”
Further scolding the opposition, Juwara opined that the leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), Hamat Bah has learned his lesson, and should now be aware of the fact that “Darboe thinks he can only lead but can never follow anybody”. He added that that was why the NRP leader parted company with Lawyer Ousainou Darboe.
Opposition ‘disowned’
Governor Juwara, who has virtually served in all the regions of the country as administrative head stated categorically that Gambians have disowned opposition political parties in the country, because as he puts it, they have been treating the people with contempt.
Emphasising that due to the opposition’s ‘lack of respect’ for the people, Juwara, a one-time independent candidate for Niamina Dankunku during the First Republic, stated that the overwhelmingly majority of those that used to support the opposition have now completely disowned them.
“Can you imagine a politician like Kemesseng Jammeh [UDP bigwig and former National Assembly member for Jarra West] cannot hold a meeting in his own native village of Seykunda because that village has declared its support for President Jammeh? This is the scenario across the whole country,” the veteran politician added.
IEC and electoral process
Juwara also seized the opportunity to describe as ‘good and satisfactory’ the operations of the country’s Independent Electoral Commission [IEC].
“They have conducted a very good voter registration exercise and the IEC’s voter education programme is very good.
I have no doubt in mind that they will conduct a free, fair and transparent election,” he stated, while expressing confidence that there will be tolerance across the country.
‘Stop the arm-chair criticism’
The LRR governor, who founded the National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) before joining the bandwagon of the ruling party, also lashed out at those he described as ‘detractors’ bent on portraying a different picture vis-à-vis the democratisation process of the country, saying those people must stop the ‘arm-chair criticism’.
“Let those people come home and make their contribution to the restoration of democracy. As far as Gambians are concerned, what we have is democratic dispensation. So let them stop the arm-chair criticism and make their positive contribution,” he remarked.
To this end, the governor hailed the Gambian people, President Jammeh in particular for what he called his exemplary leadership. While further commending all Gambian politicians and political activists for the achievements so far, Juwara called on all and sundry to be very firm and portray The Gambia in its true perspective.
Low political tempo
Commenting on the low political temperature in the country, Juwara attributed it to majority of support to the incumbent leadership, while also noting that the status quo is also due to what he called the lack of serious opposition political parties in the country.
Play to gallery
Further emphasising that the opposition will not be taken seriously, the veteran politician stressed that they are trying to play to the gallery with their political gimmick by trying to placate those in the Diaspora with a view to getting some kind of funding.
Governor Lamin Waa Juwara concluded his interview by congratulating President Jammeh in advance for his victory, while underscoring that the forthcoming November 24th Presidential Election will be so free, fair and transparent that even those who fail at the end of the race will accept the results.
Author: Hatab Fadera
" |
Edited by - kobo on 21 Oct 2011 00:40:38 |
 |
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
|
|
Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2011 : 12:26:02
|
Nyassi also told this paper that Waa Juwara was one of the major factors that led to the disintegration of NADD.- The point
|
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
|
|
|
Janyanfara
Tanzania
1350 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2011 : 17:24:08
|
Waa Juwara who was once angry when his cousin kenteng Fatty was made chief while he was in the opposition accusing his family of opportunism now is insulting even his brother B. Juwara for being opposition.
Waa is a sick alcoholic who thinks his family is his private asset that should be dragged by him where ever he choose to go politically.
Waa was severely turtured and that angered his family from Dankunku Jarra, Nyamina and Niani. Every member was angry and thus many vowed with Waa himself at a family meeting that they would never support this dictator who tortures.
Now if the same silly Waa want those people to turn back on those vows , he should have consulted them but no he went to APRC when paid D2 Million to betray his fellow oppositions at the formation of NADD.
Now he has brought division and infighting even in Dankunku Juwara Kunda itself where he was born.
That was why when he had a radio conference call with freedom, the moment my name was introduced in the conference, he went off air. The man is a mad opportunist who would never make it.
This no body I don't even know how some Gambians still consider this worn out something? That shows how ignorant some people are politically.
HE LARKS WHAT MANDINKAS CALL "BAA DUWA or BARRAKOO" |
Edited by - Janyanfara on 23 Oct 2011 17:29:44 |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
