By: Sekou Hydara
Top official of coalition 2016, who served as in the finance committee has alleged that all coalition political parties contributed in funding the 2016 presidential elections that brought in President Adama Barrow in power except National Reconciliation Party and Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP.
“While the build-up for opposition unification was ongoing, consultations and contacts with concerns Gambian Diaspora groups involved in the struggle to liberate our country from tyranny and bondage was also on course. As a result, the Diaspora concern Gambians for Democracy and peace and other patriotic Gambians pledged their financial support if the much-anticipated opposition party unity was attained,” the top official told the voice.
The source added: “In fulfilment of that promise, those patriotic Gambians in the Diaspora and in The Gambia entirely financed the program of the Coalition to enable it to dislodge the Jammeh regime and usher in this new founded freedom, human rights and democracy, from the convention where the flag bearer was elected to the final activity of the political campaign.”
According to him, Gambia Diaspora Fund amounting to five hundred and ninety four thousand five hundred and ten dalasi (D594, 510, 00) was contributed towards the selection of the coalition flag bearer, disclosing that the sum of one hundred thousand dalasi (D100, 000, 00) was contributed by the United Democratic Party, fifty thousand dalasi respectively by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Peoples Democratic Organization for Independent and Socialism (PDOIS), while Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) contributed thirty thousand dalasi (D30, 000,00) plus twenty five (25) bags of rice as well as six hundred and thirty thousand dalasi (630, 000, 00) by Gambia Diaspora fund towards the nomination of President Adama Barrow as a flag bearer.
He continued to revealed that two million nine hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and fifteen dalasi (D2, 970, 315, 00) was used for the coalition 2016 Campaign mainly from contributions made by Gambia Diaspora funds, adding that other individual contributions from Diaspora and local contributions, at the tune of seven million nine hundred and ninety five thousand, eight hundred and one dalasi (D7, 995, 801, 00).
“The total amount of one million two hundred and ninety-one dalasi (D1, 291, 000, 00) was borrowed from Adama Barrow, coalition flag bearer. This money was paid back to President Adama Barrow by the coalition finance committee sometime after the victory,” the source revealed.
