Q. Yes, you accuse PDOIS, particularly Halifa Sallah, of collaborating 
with anti-democratic forces during the transition, what are the bases 
of your accusation?


Lamin: These are questions that come to mind when you analyse the role 
that PDOIS played during the transition and continues to play. In the 
first instance, after the coup d’etat, they were offered ministerial 
positions by the junta which they declined to accept and the fact that 
during the transition, they were the only political party free to 
indulge in politics with the tacit endorsement of the junta, tantamount 
to aiding and abetting the coup. Political ban was not lifted when the 
Constitution was put to a referendum and they were the only people 
allowed to campaign. They distributed cassettes and travelled across 
the country canvassing for the Constitution, which most Gambians felt, 
were tailor-made to suit Yahya Jammeh. Our suspicions became confirmed 
when the three main political parties, both in government and 
opposition, where banned and they (PDOIS) were left out.


Q. Accusations and counter-accusations have been traded between the UDP 
and APRC for long. Now, Halifa Sallah has challenged you and the UDP 
leadership to a public debate, I think for the second time, will you 
accept the challenge?


Lamin: Certainly, we will take up the challenge if it is going to be 
over the radio and television.


Q. Why are you insistent on broadcast over radio and television?
Lamin: Because that will give it national coverage and Gambian people 
will judge for themselves the role they have played or failed to play 
during the transition. You see, PDOIS is a very small party. They only 
polled 2.8 percent of the votes during the last elections. Under the 
best of systems, any party those polls less than 5 percent of the votes 
cast will not be allowed to register as a political party.
From the look of things, PDOIS looks like a club lacking in mass 
following. If they can deny that their own sponsored-candidates in the 
last general elections were not members of their party, then they 
deserved to be called a club.
They continue to deny that they are a vanguard party trying to operate 
within a mass party system and that they subscribe to a bankrupt 
ideology, which has been, discredited worldwide.

Q. What is that ‘bankrupt ideology’?


Lamin: Their own brand of socialism. That is why they have been 
rejected by the Gambian people time and time again. That level of 
frustration can be seen in the way Halifa Sallah , whose bid for 
parliament for the third time has been unsuccessful despite the fact 
that he claims to be The Gambia’s foremost political intellectual 
(talks).

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