The fallout begins and has extended to the U.S.A. Beran The Split As Waa Juwara Gets Kicked Out of UDP The Daily Observer (Banjul) August 26, 2002 Posted to the web August 26, 2002 Saloum Sheriff Janko And Jt Brown The United Democratic Party (UDP) central committee, the country's main opposition, after intense haranguing over what should be done with the party's propaganda secretary, Lamin Waa Juwara, following a major split regarding leadership of the party and following Mr Juwara's repeated calls for the resignation of the party leader, Mr Ousainou Darboe, last Friday expelled Mr Juwara from the party at an important meeting held at their Bureau in Banjul. According to reports, the expulsion of Mr Juwara from the party was done in accordance with the UDP's guiding principles enshrined in the party's constitution. Sources added that during the meeting, 95 per cent of the delegates from all over the country proposed Juwara's immediate expulsion whilst the party leader himself, Ousainou Darboe and a few members, proposed his suspension. The issue was later put to a vote following a heated debate where Darboe and five others voted only for Juwara's suspension with the rest of the committee voting for his expulsion. The sources further said that although the embattled Waa Juwara himself was not present at the meeting, UDP executive members were quick to describe their actions as justified as they claimed Mr Juwara had absented himself for three consecutive executive meetings. He was said to have been invited to explain his actions to the party earlier which he failed to do. Following his recent return from the United States, Mr Juwara had become critical of the party leadership who he accused of inefficiency and of diverting party funds for personal use, an allegation Mr Darboe strongly denied. Meanwhile, some party militants in the youth wing of the UDP condemned the expulsion of Mr Juwara who they described as a "seasoned politician" who had played a crucial role in the country's political development. "We cannot abandon Juwara just like that today after all he has done for the UDP. Whatever the case may be, he has suffered immensely for the party. Just imagine arrests, detention and torture were his lot during the crucial days of the UDP and the present executive should be grateful about that," reasoned one of the executive members. In a related development, the Daily Observer has learnt that Mr Juwara will form a new party (his own) very soon. Below is the full text of a press release from the UDP executive committee on Waa's expulsion: The Central Committee of the United Democratic Party (UDP) met on Thursday 22nd August 2002, at the party secretariat following the spate of persistent attacks ad diatribe levelled 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 of the party. 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, the 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 spearheaded the party boycott of the National Assembly and Local Government elections, ostensibly based on his investigations and findings as National Organising Secretary, about the 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. He has betrayed the trust and confidence of the entire party. In accordance with the Constitution therefore, the Central Committee, made the following decisions: 1. That Mr Lamin Waa Juwara be expelled from the United Democratic Party with immediate effect; 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 officer is appointed by the National Executive Committee. The Central Committee renewed its trust and confidence in the secretary general and party leader of the UDP, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and pledged its total commitment to the achievement, under his leadership, of ideals and objectives of the party for a better and more prosperous Gambia, as set out in the Party 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 the country is experiencing, by canker worms crawling from within the party woodwork. Long live the United Democratic Party! Long live The Gambia! Party Headquarters UDP Banjul, The Gambia United Democratic Party 23rd August 2002 Beran S. 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