Gambia: GMC Unhappy With UDP

(JollofNews) – The Gambia Moral Congress party (GMC) has expressed disappointment at  the ‘arrogance’ and ‘contempt’ that the country’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) is showing to fellow opposition parties.

On Friday while addressing delegates at his party’s congress in Basse,  Ousainou Darboe, UDP leader, blamed the failures of the opposition to form a united front against President Yahya Jammeh in elections on fringe opposition leaders  with few supporters.

“Our party is the only party which since its inception has always participated in all the elections in alliance with other parties,” Mr Darboe said.

” In the past every effort undertaken by the party to form a united front based on the true and tried principles of coalition building has fallen short on account of recalcitrant and intrigue from fringe politicians with few supporters but great capacity to feed cynicism and drive up apathy as less discerning citizens who just want to see a unified opposition lump all the parties together and blame them for what they perceive as politicians deliberately letting the country down.”

He added: “On the other hand, UDP as the largest opposition party has been looked upon by its membership and a preponderance of the population both within and outside of the country to bring together the other parties opposed to the regime to present a united front. We will continue to spare no effort to explore all possibilities of working together to achieve our sacred objective. However, faced with a tyranny that is determined to use every means to thwart the capacity of the Gambian people to freely elect their leaders, the UDP will not be delayed by dysfunctional and unreliable allies in the opposition.”

But the GMC said it was flabbergasted and disturbed by Mr Darboe’s unprovoked pejorative adjectives against his colleagues in the opposition.

The party said Mr Darboe’s language was unhelpful to the cause of the opposition in the country.

“Expressions such as “recalcitrance and intrigue from fringe politicians with few supporters but great capacity to cause cynicism” used against fellow opposition leaders, or untenable assertions such as “UDP will not be delayed by dysfunctional and unreliable allies in the opposition” are not helpful,” said Mai Ahmad Fatty, GMC leader.

The GMC said the UDP leader’s assertion that his party has the capacity to assert a muscular and defiant political strategy that can galvanise the whole nation is historically inept and exposes the height of arrogance and contempt for fellow opposition parties.

“It’s the evidence of we don’t need allies because we can do it alone policy,” the party added.

“Such condescending, divisive public remarks help no one other than further impose a wedge among us. After 20 years of unsuccessful election contests by the UDP against Yahya Jammeh, the nation expected more inspiring, confidence building and reassuring disposition from the UDP congress at Basse.”

The GMC said in its efforts to create rapprochement, it will formally seek immediate clarification from the UDP on their statement.

“We need to move ahead, close ranks and focus on the bigger picture. We need to get on with the people’s business and not get bogged down with trivialities,” the party added.