How disappointing to see seemingly intelligent people being hoodwinked into
believing that indeed there is an alliance of opposition parties or that
PDOIS or the NCP are not sincere about their commitment to join a coalition
of opposition parties. What utter nonsense.

Now let’s have a closer look at the just formed alliance. This is an
alliance facilitated by the leader of an unregistered GPP and comprising of
an registered PPP, a UDP whose national assembly members are die-heart NCP
stalwarts and a GDP that is little known except that has fulfilled the
requirements to be registered as a party and has done so. Add to that the
recent revelation by the PPP that it sponsored the UDP for both presidential
and National assembly elections.

Now rather speculating and insinuating that the PDOIS and NCP are spoilers
who are only interesting in leading an opposition coalition why can’t people
wait until they get all the facts or justify their accusations based on
known facts.

My take on this based on known facts is this:

There were a series of secret meetings between the banned parties of the
PPP, NCP and GPP. From these meetings we were told that the NCP and PPP had
decided to re-register their parties whilst the GPP had decided not
re-register their party until after the presidential and National Assembly
elections. We were also told that Mr. Assan Musa Camara, the leader of the
GPP, has assumed the role of an elder statesman to facilitate the formation
of an alliance of the opposition parties. To this effect we were informed
that he had sent out a one-page document to the existing parties to which
they are yet to respond. We also learnt through FOROYAA that PDOIS will
respond quickly to Assan Musa and that the leader of the NRP had travelled.

Earlier on, the PDOIS clearly stated its position on the formation of an
opposition alliance. It had stated that the party believed in an alliance
that would support a single presidential candidate and that if the alliance
wins, it would oversee a transition government of one year. It also stated
that during this transition period the government should undertake to
conduct civic education to enlighten the electorate and carry out
constitutional changes that will consolidate democracy in the Gambia,
establish a governance programme that will ensure free and fair elections
and remove from our statute books all obnoxious laws. It also stated that
during this same period parties would be free to sell their programmes to
the electorate with a view to seeking their mandate come the elections to be
held at the end of the transition period. As far as I am concerned this is
my understanding of PDOIS’s position on the formation of an opposition
alliance and I am yet to know the views of the other parties.

Now what I find difficult to understand is why the many secret meetings
without the existing parties such as PDOIS and the NRP and what the
relationship between the PPP and the UDP is. How can anyone in his/her right
mind even infer that the NCP and PDOIS are selfish parties that put self
over national interest? As far as I am concerned there is NO ALLIANCE OF
OPPOSITION PARTIES. What you have is a MERGER OF THE UDP AND PPP. It seems
that the PPP having resolved the problem of who should be their presidential
candidate simply wanted the NCP to endorse it and knowing that they will not
come an agreement with PDOIS or the NRP simply ignored them. This, the NCP
will not agree to. I stand to be corrected.

Have a good day, Gassa.



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