By Kebba AF Touray
Mamma Kandeh the newly elected leader of The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), said politics is not about lying or a means for elected officials to enrich themselves at the expense of the electorate.
Kandeh said political leadership is about being truthful to the people and went on to say that appointment to public offices should be done regardless of political affiliation.
Kandeh said this shortly after his re-election as leader of the GDC, at the party’s congress in Basse.
He added that: “politics is clean and honourable, and can be conducted without character assassination, tribalism, sectionalism, hatred, bad utterances or other negative vices;” that 60% of Gambians went to the polls and voted to effect change. He added that the electorate tasked those who should empower the masses to address their concerns, strengthen institutions to promote good governance, entrench democracy, provide employment, and address the problems of irregular migration in the interest of the populace.
“The Gambia is young but cannot tolerate mediocrity, tribalism, corruption, and the misuse of state resources in the interest of the few. The GDC if voted into office, will set a better example and will ensure a united and developed Gambia. We are not power hungry, but want to contribute our quota to national development,” Kandeh asserted. He pointed out that it is time for Gambians to chart a new beginning, and be serious with nation building; that mediocrity, self-glorification, rampant corruption, and the misuse of state resources will retard national development.
As mandated by the Electoral Laws, the GDC elected officials have been tasked to steer the affairs of the party for the next two years. 49 positions were supposed to be contested but eventually went unopposed. Mamma Kandeh was unanimously elected unopposed as Secretary General and Leader of the party and election to other positions also went unopposed.
