The Independent Feb. 20th, 2001 Lamin M. Dibba and Omar Bah Banjul, The Gambia The NRP leadership has confirmed that it will not put forward candidates in the forthcoming by-elections in Central Baddibu and Kiang East constituencies. Speaking at the NRP bureau last Thursday the party's assistant administrative secretary Njobo Baldeh, on behalf of the party leader Hamat Bah who is in Taiwan said, the NRP's will not field candidates in the two vacant constituencies whose former representatives were killed in a car accident in January. Mr. Baldeh said Hamat Bah made the decision before he left for Taiwan with the endorsement of the NRP executive. Asked why the party would not put up candidates for the by-elections Njobo said it was too prompt and unexpected, adding that the NRP leadership is engaged in other programmes. He was quick to deny any suggestion that the NRP is in effect showing solidarity with the UDP by not contesting for the constituencies. He said the move should not be misconstrued as a ploy to lend more weight to the opposition. "I have explained our problem already. We shall contest in all other election coming, including, the local government elections, presidential and national assembly elections. We will cover all the constituencies and local government areas in those elections," he indicated. Speaking to The Independent later, Mr. Dullo Bah, a member of the party's executive said the body would meet to discuss the issue. Meanwhile after consultations with the people of Central Baddibu and Kiang East, the executive committee of the UDP on Thursday endorsed the candidacy of Lamin Dibba for Central Baddibu and Bakary Jarju for Kiang East in the by-elections slated for March 31st. Bakary Jarju who was a former employee of the KMC and now cashier at Sun Shine Insurance Company told The Independent that as far as he is concerned the United Democratic party is talking n terms of claiming the Kiang seat and already 'Come what may by the 31st of March I will be an elected National Assembly member. I will perform the duties expected of a National Assembly member' he promised. Mr. Jarju added that his opponent in the APRC ticket would "woefully and miserably" lose his by-election deposit. Lamin Dibba the UDP deputy senior administrative secretary and campaign co-ordinator was selected among three UDP applicants who applied for the Central Baddibu constituency. "I am already the successor of my late brother and friend Abdou Karamba Kassama' he told The Independent. A delegation comprising the chairperson of all the villages in Central Baddibu confidently told The Independent that Lamin Dibba "is already" an elected National Assembly member . 'We will give all the support he needs for the by-election" they assured. Members of the delegation vowed that even if Mr. Dibba should stay in the Kombos, without campaigning, he will win "since everybody likes him". The delegation said Lamin's candidacy might be unopposed because the ARPC is reportedly without a candidate yet. A top APRC official recently said his party's executive would soon meet to select candidates for the two vacant constituencies. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2001 The Independent. Distributed by allAfrica.com. For information about the content or for permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast, contact the publisher.

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