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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Nov 2011 : 11:41:05
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FOROYAA National News : HALIFA SALLAH ON THE STATE OF THE OPPOSITION
"Foroyaa: Many people are wondering why you decided to declare that you will not seek to be the candidate of the United Front for the Presidency even though you devoted time and energy to bring it about?
Halifa: The Gambia does not have a normal multi party system. If there was the second round of voting then political parties and personalities could have the luxury of standing in the first round to check their political weight. A united Front could then be formed in the second round. Since we do not have a second round it is in the lips of every Gambian who wants change that the opposition must unite. We are trapped by history to answer to their demand. This is why we have put the demand at the forefront of our strategies and tactics for change. This is why we abandoned our campaign to put PDOIS in office and replace it with a campaign to have one candidate for the 2011 elections who would accept a transitional mandate in order for us to build a genuine multiparty system and thus enable PDOIS to put its programmes before the people to seek their mandate.
Foroyaa: As it stands it does not appear that the opposition would have only one candidate. Would you accept that you have already failed?
Halifa: The opposition, especially PDOIS is in a catch 22 situation. I do not know whether you know what I mean.
Foroyaa: You have to explain.
Halifa: Many people have acknowledged that PDOIS is mature to manage the affairs of the country but do point at past election results to indicate that it could not command a majority to be able to unseat Jammeh on its own. The very people who clamour for the opposition to unite are also quick to attack and impeach on the integrity of the UDP, NRP, GPDP, PPP and GMC from one angle or another. Hence if PDOIS fails to unite with them it is damned and if it unites with them it is damned. Some people in the Diaspora are even questioning why PDOIS would form a United Front with GPDP and NRP. They have forgotten what happened and have transformed the developments into a conspiracy theory of the smaller parties ganging up against a bigger party. Even though these critics claim to want to unseat Jammeh they give these unsubstantiated rumours that impinge on the credibility of the opposition.
Foroyaa: How did the United Front you subscribe to emerge?
Halifa: It is clear that it is the UDP which invited opposition parties to talks. At the end of the talks PDOIS moved a motion for a convention to be held. Only two parties did not support the motion. The other parties supported the holding of a convention. We decided to meet and negotiate the terms of a United Front and agreed on them. This is the logical offshoot of the motion that was moved at the talks. There is no conspiracy whatsoever.
Foroyaa: Some people are saying that PDOIS has handed over the United Front to the NRP. What is your reaction?
Halifa: The Convention has rules and they are stated in black and white. No party candidate or Independent Candidate is excluded. If people who consider themselves competent refuse to assume their national responsibility then they should not caricature the so-called lesser endowed persons who stand up to be counted. The people who are failing Gambian society are those Gambians in the Diaspora who pen their days and nights to attack those who are making the supreme sacrifice to combat impunity at home. They do not come home to establish political parties to uproot the regime but do not reward the little others are doing even if it is not enough. It is very clear that the outcome of the convention cannot be predicted. Those who make their predictions are just speculating. The rules of engagement at the convention are as follows:
1.1 The United Front shall hold a convention on a day and time unanimously agreed by all member parties on the basis of 10 delegates per region per party or on any other basis of selecting 70 delegates that is acceptable to a party under its constitution.
1.2 An organising committee comprising a representative from each party shall be appointed by the executive or central committees of the member parties to be responsible for putting the logistics in place to hold the convention.
1.3 Each party that wishes to put up a candidate or any Independent person who wishes to be a candidate for selection by the Convention shall send a letter to the organising committee and copy it to all member parties, no later than a day before the holding of the convention.
1.4 A public announcement shall be made of the date and venue of the convention.
1.5 Each Independent Candidate is entitled to two delegates, one to propose his or her nomination and the other to second the motion.
1.6 Each party candidate shall be nominated by the party and the nomination shall be seconded by another party member who is a delegate.
1.7 Each delegate shall have one vote and shall be entitled to cast that vote in secret. Each candidate shall be entitled to address the delegates on the merits of his or her candidature.
1.8 No person shall be selected as a presidential candidate on the first ballot unless he or she has more than fifty percent of the votes validly cast at the convention.
1.9 Should no person have fifty percent of the votes cast in the first round, the two persons who have the highest and second highest number of votes shall participate in the second round.
1.9.1 In the second round of voting the person with the highest number of votes would be the presidential candidate.
1.9.2 Upon selection of the Presidential Candidate a committee comprising the representatives of the executives of each member party and the Presidential candidate shall engage in consultation to select a running mate. The running mate shall be selected by consensus giving due regard to the value he or she could add to the ticket to enhance a successful outcome.
1.9.3 Upon winning an election under the United Front, the President and Vice President shall serve one five year term and at the end of the five years, shall neither seek a second mandate nor show preference for any presidential candidate in the next following Presidential election.
1.9.4 Constitutional amendments shall be promulgated to ensure that all subsequent presidents shall serve no more than two terms as President of the Republic of The Gambia .
Foroyaa: Those people are saying that all these things are not necessary. What do you think?
Halifa: We have succeeded in bringing opposites together. The objectives are served. Instead of having countless numbers of people standing the contestants are being narrowed down.
Foroyaa: Some are predicting that the opposition has already lost. What do you think?
Halifa: Everybody could fold hands and make predictions. Those are the problem of the nation. They are not part of the solution. They are the ones who breathe life into the regime. They have lost hope and would want to inject their sense of hopeless in people so that their predictions would appear to be correct. Any body who understands power would know that many governments are not in power because of popularity. They are in power because of their capacity to manipulate the people while in power.Where is the President of Cameroon? He is still there. What is keeping him there? He is in charge of state power and it is not an ordinary task to wrest power from his hands. Power changes when the people are ready for change. If the people of the Gambia are ready for change it will come like it did in Zambia. The PPP was a former ruling party but it is almost dead. In the past many said that it would be here for eternity. Those who make predictions do not learn form history. Hence it will always take them by surprise.
Foroyaa: Some claim that the members of the opposition leadership are light weights. Do you agree?
Halifa: What are the heavy weights doing? It is the heavy weights who leave people like George Waeh of Liberia to be a Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate. They have nothing to say if they fail to take up their national duties.
Foroyaa: Finally, what do you have to say?
Halifa: The time has come to isolate all those who claim to oppose the government but are constantly trying to belittle opposition initiatives. Each should be part of the solution by supporting one opposition party or the other. All those who are neutral and would not support one opposition party or the other are allied with the regime. These so called neutral people who oppose all opposition parties are responsible for what happens in Gambian society today. Each opposition party has done what its mind could dictate. It is left to the people to choose.Those who use foul language against opposition leaders are the promoters of voter apathy. They are the ones dashing the hopes of the Gambian people and should be identified as indecent citizens who cannot even engage in healthy and respectful debates to shape public opinion for the common good."Foroyaa
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Edited by - kobo on 02 Nov 2011 12:26:34 |
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