By: Binta Jaiteh
National Assembly Member for Wulli East, Hon Suwaibou Touray, has called for opposition unity and electoral reforms to unseat President Adama Barrow in the December election.
Hon. Touray who is also the Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) argues that the current political system favours the ruling party.
Speaking in an interview with The Voice, Touray says opposition parties continue to operate under what he described as an uneven political environment, citing limited access to state resources, media coverage and electoral structures.
“You are competing with people who are already 50 meters in front of you,” he said, criticizing what he termed as the absence of a level playing field in Gambian politics.
Touray said the only realistic path toward political change is the formation of a broad opposition coalition capable of challenging the incumbency advantage of President Adama Barrow’s administration.
“The only way to really compete and bring about change is through the establishment of a coalition,” he added.
The Wulli East lawmaker, who has served in the National Assembly since 2017, highlighted legislative work he has contributed to, including the Criminal Offences Act, Criminal Procedure Act, Anti-Torture Act and Anti-Corruption legislation.
He also discloses that he is sponsoring two private member’s bills aimed at introducing national languages in parliament and establishing a recall mechanism for National Assembly Members who fail to fulfill their responsibilities.
Touray expressed frustration over the repeated failure to adopt a new constitution, blaming the high parliamentary threshold required for approval.
He said the 75 per cent requirement makes constitutional reform difficult within a politically divided legislature.
The PDOIS official also raised concerns over voter registration, particularly the continued use of attestations by alkalolu and chiefs, saying the system remains vulnerable to political influence.
He criticized the exclusion of Gambians in the diaspora from voting, despite their contribution to the economy through remittances.
Touray said weak institutions and low public sector salaries continue to fuel corruption, adding that stronger oversight systems and economic reforms are needed to address the challenge.
He said PDOIS’s economic vision is centered on production, value addition, cooperative banking and job creation aimed at reducing dependency and empowering citizens.