WHAT DO THEY HOPE TO ACHIEVE?
Is it quality  enhancement or quality elimination?
I cannot really fathom the reason that  must have motivated the United 
Democratic Party (UDP) to put up a candidate to  contest the Serrekunda Central 
National Assembly seat. However, before I  proceed, let me state that I  
acknowledge the inalienable right of any  individual who wishes and satisfies all the 
constitutional requirements of  nationality, age, residency, voter eligibility, 
etc., to vie for this office of  representation, more so, a registered 
political party to sponsor a candidate. My  concern, therefore, is in no way 
negating this right. It does not preclude the  right of the UDP to put up a candidate 
in any constituency. It is only trying to  find a solution to the puzzle as 
posed in the questions that captioned this  article.
As the country was emerging from a presidential election that was  
characterised by widespread voter apathy and again bracing itself for a looming  
National Assembly elections impregnated with uncertainties, the NADD  presidential 
contestant and minority leader, Halifa Sallah, announced his  party’s resolve to 
employ a tactical alliance with other opposition parties and  independent 
aspirants. The objective, as he said, was to ensure a Non-APRC  majority in the 
National Assembly. This would have allowed the combined  opposition and 
independents to agree on sponsoring and supporting only one  candidate against the 
APRC in every constituency based on the assessed  competence, charisma and 
optimal chances of the person or the party. The NADD  further cited examples that 
in such a scenario they would ensure that the  constituencies of Kemeseng 
Jammeh, Hamat Bah, Dembo Bojang, to name a few, would  not be rivaled by the 
opposition considering the non-rubberstamp role these  people will be expected to 
play in the National Assembly when elected. 
This  move was very much welcomed with enthusiasm and optimism by all those 
who care  to see democracy and rule of law prevail in The Gambia. These include 
both the  opposition and the APRC supporters, as well as concerned 
non-nationals who all  believe that a critical National Assembly is what will make the 
country move  forward by putting a check to the excesses in governance and 
which cannot be  done by an APRC dominated rubber-stamp legislature. A critical 
non-APRC majority  in the Assembly augurs well for democracy and good governance.
For the  rational opposition, the voters have already made the big mistake by 
electing  President Jammeh for another five years of misrule, mismanagement 
and impunity.  However, the conviction is that the absolutism and excesses of 
the APRC regime  can be put to a leash when the voters elect people who are 
critical and resolved  to make the National Assembly an effective and robust 
oversight institution as  prescribed by the constitution of the second republic. 
Hence the interest and  support for the opposition to be one block this time 
round. As for these APRC  supporters they believe in the separation of powers. 
They are happy that  President Jammeh has been re-elected. However, they would 
want him to deliver  and which they believe can only materialize when there 
exist a strong Assembly  of non-praise singing, non-flattering and non-self 
seeking deputies who will  guide the executive to serve the people. For these 
people, they are ready to  support any candidate who is more credible than the 
APRC one in order to serve  this purpose. 
Why then did the UDP and NRP not reciprocate by declaring the  constituencies 
of the likes of Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta, etc. non-contestable  for their 
parties, given the well pronounced caliber and quality of  representation of 
these NAMs in the National Assembly? Although the UDP has not  put up candidates 
in the constituencies of Sidia Jatta and two other NADD  candidates. Whether 
what was responsible for this has been the inability to  scout a candidate or 
considerations based on sentiments is left for the reader  to conjecture. 
Anyway, I have gathered from sources, earlier on, that scouting  was being done by 
them, but as to whether it bored nought, I don’t know. The  question still 
remains; Why Serrekunda Central? What is the motive of the UDP in  contesting 
this particular seat given the important role that Halifa is playing  in the 
Assembly? Is there candidate more competent? Can that UDP win the seat?  Is the 
mission’ UDP cannot win but Halifa will not be allowed to win either’?  Can 
this move be claimed as good faith? All these are questions that beg for  honest 
answers.
Notwithstanding, I believe the UDP should not have contested  the Serrekunda 
Central seat and should have embraced the NADD’s call and engage  in a 
tactical alliance. This would have paid more dividend for them both in  terms of 
credibility and chances of winning seats. I think the Presidential  election 
should have been a lesson for them. For them to still harbour the  illusion that 
they can succeed by going it alone, especially given the present  political 
context in The Gambia, is self-deluding. The 2006 Presidential  election is a case 
in point. Where is the ‘majority’ that was bandied about by  the UDP that 
made them to pull out of the NADD conglomerate with the illusion  that they will 
win the election without the others. This is the ‘majority’ that  one of my 
sisters often refers to as “majority ming mang nafa soto” or “majority  bu 
amul barkeh”, meaning a so called strength that is not potent or lacks  blessing.
The 2006 presidential poll is now history and what is left is to  draw the 
necessary lessons for the future. As for me, the NADD political project  was the 
best arrangement that suited our circumstances, as it was designed to  herald 
in a new order that will establish a truly democratic space for everyone.  It 
would have gone to enable every Gambian to be recognised or sanctified as  
sovereign. Unfortunately, the prospects for the attainment of these lofty and  
necessary goals were aborted mid-way by the clash of two differing and opposing 
 desires. It later became very clear that two strains constituted the NADD  
leadership. One group was interested and committed to the cause of removing the 
 APRC regime and replacing it with a democratic dispensation where the  
empowerment of the people, the rule of law, constitutionality, economic,  political 
and a predictably stable and social accountability order is in place  or 
prevail. The other group was only interested in a change of regime where the  
status quo will be maintained with absolute power vested in a privileged  
executive which is sustained by a non-politically enlightened, divided and  
dis-empowered electorate. Hence it was the existence of and struggle between  these two 
irreconcilable interests that led to the eventual break-up of NADD  which 
shattered many peoples hopes for a new and democratic Gambia to be  midwived by a 
United Opposition Front. 
The repercussions were: widespread  voter apathy, President Jammeh re-elected 
with a narrow escape, the two  opposition presidential candidates from the 
socalled ‘majority’ and socalled  ‘minority’ parties both losing the election. 
Infact, when one reviews the  results with circumspection, one will not fail 
to discover that President Jammeh  is far from being popular and has just 
narrowly escaped due to the opposition  disunity which led to the large-scale 
voter apathy. Again, the number of  registered voters who did not vote are more 
than those who cast their votes for  Jammeh. Can one call this popularity? 
Indeed, it is even the UDP that emerged to  be the sole loser because of its 
shrinking ‘fortunes’ or support in terms of  votes. The UDP lost nearly 30% of its 
votes whilst the combined UDP/NRP 40%.  This is how much the disunity costs 
the UDP/NRP. 
Now, whether this will be  repeated is left to the electorate. However what 
is certain is that a critical  National Assembly is very crucial in ensuring 
that The Gambia continues to exist  as a fledging democracy. This however cannot 
be realized if the voters allow the  APRC to again command a majority in the 
Assembly. Again quoting my sister’s  words of wisdom “Don’t give the person 
the meat and also the knife, lest he cut  a pound of flesh from a part of your 
body that will send you straight to your  grave.” Since President Jammeh is 
mandated to serve for 5 years, a critical  National Assembly composed of 
competent, dignified, selfless and determined  members should also be elected to 
serve as an efficient oversight institution to  prevent excesses, misrule impunity 
and mismanagement by the  executive.

Long Live The Gambian People
Long Live  Democracy
Long Live The Gambia
O. S
A Concern Citizen  

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