As the Kanifing Municipality mayoral race heats up, independent candidate Bakary Badjie has hit out at the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) flag bearer of taking donations from an Australian oil company FAR Limited, .
“It is UDP candidate who is being financed by FAR Ltd,” Bakary Badjie told reporters in an effort to clear air over reports indicating that some candidates are backed by international corporate entities.
Badjie’s statement comes on the heels of mounting controversy surrounding allegations of interference with Gambian politics by FAR Limited. The oil company has exploration rights on two Gambian offshore blocks (A2 & A5), and is expected to start drilling late this year. Media reports have it that FAR Limited partner with Talib A. Bensouda’s Foundation, GamSense to donate 100 trash bins to 10 community markets in the Greater Banjul Area. The move is seen by Bensouda’s opponents as a ‘disguised way’ of funding his electoral campaign.
Badjie further stated that it is wrong for international businesses to involve in domestic politics.
“It simply means that we are mortgaging our municipality to people who are only interested in making money, and not necessarily taking care of the people,” he voiced out.
In a similar vein, lawyer Assan Martin, another independent candidates vying for KMC mayorship, expressed his disapproval of FAR Ltd’s alleged interference with Gambian politics.
“We will not allow Gambian democracy to be tainted. We’ll not compromise any inch,” he added.
Martin said they are ready to expose any institution that is involved in that.
Another mayoral hopeful, Bubacarr Senghore added his voice to the chorus of recriminationssaid oil companies have better place to put their money than to involve in domestic politics.
“They should not interfere with Gambians. We need a level playing field,” he pointed out.
Responding to the criticisms, Talib Bensouda said admitted that his foundation, GamSense, has received donations from ‘a good number companies’.
“GamSense is a one-year old institution, and I have been running it before I entered politics. So I don’t think there is a conflict there,” he said.
Bensouda went on to say that that GamSense projects with Far Limited were going on well before he won the UDP primaries.
“These are allegations. They are not facts. The donations were not about my campaign. They were about the Gambian people and the communities.”
Written by Abdoulie JOHN
The clear manifesting is all foreign investors to stay away from domestic political activities, and allowed people to decide, otherwise there will be a conflict of interest in the politic.
I think the bar is set too low by this President;
or as we say ” what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”
Clearly the Electoral Commission have a significant role to play, as I believe any candidate who accepts financial help in payment or in kind from any foreigner or foreign Company, automatically has his/her candidacy or his party declared null and void. So the rules are there. They are just being ignored or not enforced rigorously. But this is Gambia where corruption is a lucrative occupation.
Quote: “GamSense is a one-year old institution, and I have been running it before I entered politics. So I don’t think there is a conflict there,” he said.”
Wow, the guy doesn’t see any conflict in receiving donation funds from a number of companies that may have business interest in the KMC. And this is the guy tipped for the job, being the UDP candidate?
And talking about the UDP, is this party really interested in ushering real change to the Gambia? Everything they do seem to echo “old Gambia”; the very Gambia that gave us Yaya Jammeh, the terrible. From their campaign strategies tom thier naked desire to dominate and grab every elective position will lead to a continuation of the same status quo: one party rule.
And let no one tell me that’s “democracy” because its not in our case, as a key ingredient of democracy; the presumption that voters are adequately informed about the choices before them, and are influenced in their decisions by the very best of those choices, is woefully missing in The Gambia.
The new Gambia, or at least during this all party transitional coalition period, should have been about inculcating this culture in our people to strengthen and safeguard the democratic experience we underwent and achieved in December 2016. What’s happening is a disgrace and a serious betrayal of the trust of all who fought so hard against Jammeh and looked eagerly forward to a different Gambia in all its manifestations. Kudos to those who stayed committed and true to our desires for genuine democratic changes in The Gambia.
“A transitional government leading Gambia towards democracy from tyranny ”
I think Bax makes some revealing remarks about this not being a culture of democratic change but an historic Gambian culture of ” remain the same.” The only difference is the names of the personel occupying another one party state. But we could see this within 3 months of taking office that the UDP were bedding in for the longest time.
So what about the secret donation of National Assembly cars. ? from who ? and where is transparency to be found ?
Who’s hand rocks this cradle ?
In support of Bax’s statements,
“The new Gambia, or at least during this all party transitional coalition period, should have been about inculcating this culture in our people to strengthen and safeguard the democratic experience we underwent and achieved in December 2016. What’s happening is a disgrace and a serious betrayal of the trust of all who fought so hard against Jammeh and looked eagerly forward to a different Gambia in all its manifestations. Kudos to those who stayed committed and true to our desires for genuine democratic changes in The Gambia”.
I’d add that the culture is shifting rapidly towards that of FUFU RAY and NJIIRO in earnest. Mike’s point that, corruption in becoming or should we say has been a lucrative undertaking is more apt under the prevailing circumstances on the ground.
The KMC has, from the PPP era never seen good leadership but has instead seen the Kebba Jallows, the Laye Contehs, Tafa Njais and then the bottom feeder Yankuba Colley.
There’s good reason that successive KMC management have been dealing exclusively with Shyben Madi & Sons Nissan dealership when it comes to the purchase of vehicles when it was common knowledge that commissions were routinely paid to anybody purchasing vehicles on behalf of government or any agency for that matter.
Market Masters and Revenue Collectors routinely enable the OSUSU phenomenon with tax revenues for the benefit of higher ups. Let’s look at what we’ve been getting from when KMC transitioned from what was the KUDC. More chaos and heartache than progress I must add.
I don’t see Taleb Bensouda, a young man that’s already showing a penchant for palm grease, making for good and selfless leadership of the KMC. The UDP may very well be betting on the wrong candidate in the same vein that the party is counting on a half baked person for the Brikama Area Council chairperson position. Makes me believe that the UDP is still struggling with leadership issues within the ranks.
A lot more work must be done Bax to extricate this government and the UDP from the perennial rut of poor choices for key leadership positions.
This oil company is beyond Talib’s NGO. One needs to know the company’s dealings with the Bensoudas law firm to know exactly what is going on.
This is nothing new. Oil company executives are some of the biggest donors to the UK Tory and US Republican parties. It is very naïve to imply that campaign donations are inherently bad and should be banned. The money has to come from somewhere. It doesn’t grow on trees you know. This donation is from FAR Gambia, which is a bonafide Gambia-registered entity. The onus is on the IEC to develop well defined rules on campaign funding. Talib isn’t breaking any rules and is well within his rights to partner with private businesses which can help fund his campaign and even his programmes when he gets elected. KMC needs capital investment and Talib is the only candidate who understands this. Badgie is a sound guy, but he isn’t a natural leader. Assan Martin has lost the debate a long time ago and isn’t mayorship material. He sounds like a broken record, constantly harping on about how he played a leading role in the struggle and now should be rewarded with the mayorship. Politics doesn’t work like that Assan.
SK Boys,
you are right: BigMoney is financing the UK Tories and the US Republicans. And look at May, Johnson and Trump and you see the devastating results. This is nothing The Gambia should copy!