By: Musa S. Sheriff
Opposition political party, United Democratic Party (UDP), on Wednesday called on Gambian leader Adama Barrow to honour a coalition agreement that brought him to power in 2016.
Seven political parties and an independent candidate united and backed the candidature of Barrow to defeat President Yahya Jammeh, one of Africa’s longest serving leaders, in a popular vote on December 2, 2016.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday at the party’s office in Manjai, , UDP leader Ousainou Darboe urged his former treasurer, President Barrow, to honour the 2016 Coalition agreement and step down in December.
According to him, the coalition independent candidate agreed to serve for three years as president if he won the presidential election of 2016 and resign as president after a three-year term and supervise the first elections in which he would not participate.
Asked if he and his party were supporting a grassroots movement dubbed “Operation 3 years Jotna” (meaning three has reached), Darboe reiterated his party’s call for President Barrow to step down in December.
“UDP urged all the parties to the 2016 Coalition agreement, particularly its principal beneficiary, President Adama Barrow to be faithful to the terms and conditions of the Gambian electorates that if elected he will serve for a term of three years only and step down to supervise free, fair and transparent presidential elections,” he said.
Also responding to a question on his 2017 statement supporting President Barrow for five years, Darboe pointed out that decisions reached by the party supersede his personal stance as far as national issues are concerned.
“If the party takes the decision for President Barrow to adhere to the three year promise and step down in December, he has no power to overrule that decision made by the UDP,” Darboe pointed out.
He added: “This is the first time UDP as a party is making a statement on this issue and the party’s decision is more supreme than my personal decision. It took three days for the party to arrive at this decision because there was a lot of debate among us (executives) before we arrived at this decision and in any case, I, Ousainou Darboe cannot overrule the decision of the party.”
He recalled that when he proposed Dr. Isatou Touray as an individual to nominate her as the party’s flag-bearer it was President Barrow himself who first challenged his decision, questioning whether it was only Ousainou who can make a decision in UDP.
“President Barrow’s questioning of whether I am the only one to make decisions shows that, I, Ousainou Darboe cannot dictate the party on the selection of a Presidential flag-bearer. I cannot dictate the party and I cannot dictate the party to adopt my position at all,” former VP Darboe pointed out.
The UDP leader stressed that the pending question that needs to be addressed is whether President Barrow will step-down by December and organize a fresh election as agreed by the Coalition 2016 Stakeholders, noting UDP as a party is calling President Barrow to respect this agreement.
“Let me say that one character of a good leader is adhering, respecting and promises you made are fulfilled. For me any leader that does not respect his promises to the people is deceitful and I don’t think Gambia wants any leader that is deceitful, I think Gambia wants leaders that will respect and fulfill promises that they made irrespective of what the consequences are,” Darboe noted.
