By Haddy Touray
United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has criticised Lands Minister Hamat Bah over recent remarks about the opposition party, questioning whether the minister has abandoned principles they previously shared.
Speaking Tuesday during an interview with UDP Online Bantaba, Darboe said Bah knew him well, having spent years on the same side of the political struggle against former President Yahya Jammeh.
Darboe said practices that he and Bah had opposed during the Jammeh era were being repeated under the current administration, in which Bah serves as a senior government minister.
“All the things we were fighting against during Jammeh’s era are now being repeated by the government that Hamat Bah belongs to. And I wonder where his conscience has gone,” Darboe said.
He questioned why conduct that was considered unacceptable under the previous administration should be viewed differently under the current government.
Darboe also rejected allegations of tribalism directed against him, saying Bah had previously defended him against similar accusations.
The UDP leader further dismissed claims that a UDP government would carry out widespread dismissals of civil servants, describing the allegation as misleading and intended to create fear among public employees.
Darboe instead alleged that political pressure on civil servants had increased under the current administration. He referred to previous remarks attributed to President Adama Barrow concerning civil servants who publicly profess political neutrality.
According to Darboe, such statements reflected practices that opposition parties had previously opposed during the Jammeh era.
He argued that Bah, having been aware of such developments, should have considered resigning from the government if he remained committed to the principles he previously advocated.
Darboe also defended the UDP’s position on the participation of Gambians living abroad in public service.
He said a UDP administration would not exclude qualified Gambians in the diaspora from government appointments, adding that competence, experience, commitment and knowledge would be considered in selecting people for public positions.
Darboe said the party would continue advocating for greater consultation with Gambians abroad on matters of national importance and their participation in the country’s political life.
The UDP leader also spoke about the party’s recent diaspora convention in the United Kingdom, saying attendance exceeded organisers’ expectations.
He described the gathering as an indication of the close ties among UDP supporters in The Gambia and abroad, noting that some participants who had previously known one another only by name met in person during the convention.
Darboe said the convention also raised funds for the party, although he did not disclose the amount. He described the contributions as voluntary and said supporters were not seeking personal benefits in return.
He thanked the party’s diaspora chapters, organisers and supporters for their continued support.
Darboe said the UDP’s diaspora network had remained an important source of organisational and financial support for the party over the years. Recent reporting from the party’s London convention also highlighted the longstanding role of diaspora chapters in the UDP’s activities.