Juwara Finally Expelled From UDP The Independent (Banjul) August 26, 2002 Posted to the web August 26, 2002 Banjul The protracted tirade within the United Democratic Party between its leader, Ousainou Darboe and National Organising Secretary, Lamin Waa Juwara has finally reached a climax with the expulsion of Waa Juwara from the party. The decision to expel him from the party was reached at a meeting by the party's Central Committee Thursday 22 August, which was boycotted by Juwara himself. In a press release to that effect, which is reproduced below, the committee explained the rationale behind the decision to expel Juwara from the party: The Central Committee of the United Party (UDP) met on Thursday 22nd August 2002, at the Party Secretariat following the spate of persistent attacks and diatribe leveled against the Party and its leadership by Mr. Lamin Waa Juwara, National Organising Secretary of the Party. The Central Committee expressed serious concern over the failure of Mr. Juwara to attend this very important gathering, comprising of Area and Constituency Chairmen, Female and Youth Wings, constituency- sponsored candidates, and National Executive members, to formally present any matter concerning any aspect of the Party, for discussion. In this case, the Central Committee of the Party is the best forum to propose removals, investigations or any disciplinary action resulting from improper behaviour or conduct of any executive member including the Secretary General. The failure of Mr. Juwara to attend the scheduled meeting, to which, like all members of the Committee, he was invited as National Organising Secretary, and raise issues and matters of serious concern to him about the welfare of the party, and the way and manner the affairs of the party are being administered, raises questions about his seriousness. Internal party affairs should be discussed internally within the various organs of the party i.e. the National Executive, Central Committee, or the National Congress. The fact that Mr. Juwara decided to talk to the press rather than to members of the various organs of the party raises suspicions of his motives for a different agenda. Having considered that Mr. Juwara, being the architect who spear headed the party boycott of the National Assembly and Local Government elections, ostensibly based on his investigations and findings as National Organizing Secretary, about he registration of aliens and the manipulations of the Independent Electoral Commission, the Central Committee felt disappointed that Mr. Juwara should now unashamedly attribute the boycott to "lack of funds" especially when he knew that the party had paid all the deposits for the candidates. Some candidates were, as a matter of fact, prepared to pay their own deposits as independents. It is a known fact that some parties require their candidates to pay their own deposits. Lack of funds was therefore not the issue at all. Mr. Juwara as the party's officer in charge of political affairs, convinced the executive to boycott the elections. If Mr. Juwara is serious about the so-called revelations and assertions that he made about the boycott, he should show his true colour by endorsing the outcome of the presidential elections and stop attacking the UDP leadership for congratulating Jammeh.The Central Committee regards these two contradictory views held by Mr. Juwara as dishonest and devoid of integrity and concluded after lengthy discussions, that the National Organising Secretary has a hidden agenda to destroy the party and all it stands for locally and internationally. Consequently, the Central Committee made the following decisions: That Mr. Lamin Waa Juwara be expelled from the United Democratic Party; 2. That the National Executive be given the mandate to fill the post of National Organising Secretary, made vacant by the expulsion of Lamin Waa Juwara; 3. That Mr. Femi Peters, Campaign Manager, will handle the responsibilities attached to the post of National Organising Secretary until a substantive officers is appointed by the National Executive Committee The Central Committee renewed its trust and confidence in the Secretary General and Party Leader of the party, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and pledged its total commitment to the achievements, under his leadership, of ideals and objectives of the party for a better and more prosperous Gambia as set out in the party's constitution and manifesto. Finally, the Central Committee called on all party militants and sympathisers to stand firm behind the party Leader and not to be detracted from the present woes of the country, by cankerworms crawling from within the party woodwork. Long live the United Democratic Party Long live The Gambia _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~