This demonstrates some magnanimity on the part of the UDP. I hope it will not be spun as "Oh the UDP just could not find a viable candidate". The bumblebees are brainstorming. Haruna.
The
ground has been set for the much-awaited bye-election in Wuli East
constituency, after the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and
Construction (APRC) and the opposition National Alliance for Democracy
and Development (NADD) on Monday nominated their candidates for the
elections.
While
the ruling party fielded one Saidou Sabally, a native of Passamas Fula
Kunda in Wuli East district, the opposition NADD's candidate is Suwaibou
Touray, the same candidate who lost to the ruling party's candidate in
the last legislative elections.
Presided
over by IEC official Alieu Momar Njie, the nominations took place at
the Independent Electoral Commission's regional office in Basse
Mansajang Kunda.
The
bye-election, which followed the death of Bekai Camara, National
Assembly Member for Wuli East last month, was scheduled for 28th April
2011.
Speaking
to this reporter in Basse, shortly after his nomination yesterday,
Saidou Sabally the APRC candidate expressed optimism that he will sweep
the polls. He said the ruling APRC will register even more votes in Wuli
East this time around than in the last legislative election.
NADD
candidate Suwaibou Touray told journalists that all political parties
in this country have their programs and policies, and that his party's
policy has been proven 100% in The Gambia.
According
to him, there must be winners and losers in any election, noting that
the current situation in The Gambia shows that people must participate
in elections or else democracy will fail.
"The
type of development we have in this country is cosmetic development,"
Touray said, adding that the priority of the people of Wuli is the
construction of roads, and that the ferry service is in a deplorable
situation.
Meanwhile,
Yankuba Colley the APRC National Mobiliser told this reporter that
there is no single opposition party in the country that can challenge
the APRC.
In his view, come this bye-election and any other election, the APRC will sweep the polls.
Author: Soury Camara in Basse