by Ousman Sillah
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, the Secretary Gereral and party leader of the
United Democratic Party (UDP), said the party that fans ethnic or
tribal divisions in the country is the APRC and its leader.
He said this while addressing a rally held yesterday, Sunday, 14 June,2015 near the tank at the Latrikunda German – Kairaba Avenue junction
which was attended by hundreds of party supporters.
The UDP party leader paid tribute to the various
opposition parties that showed solidarity with his party when the Police did not issue them with a permit to use a Public Address System
during their recent caravan tour round the country. He thanked the
GMC for sending some of its members to meet the UDP team at the North
Bank, O.J and the PPP for sending Fabakary Jarju, Hon. Samba Jallow,
the Minority Leader, who represented the NRP and its leader, and his
friend Halifa Sallah of PDOIS for delegating Momodou Sambou to show
support and solidarity. He said Mr. Sallah indicated that this
incident was not a problem of the UDP alone but of every Gambian as
this is an issue of rights that need to be defended.
“What this shows is that there is goodwill among the opposition
parties, otherwise they would not have demonstrated their support and
solidarity with the UDP,” said Lawyer Darboe.
He described the caravan tour as a success, especially when they
returned to the Lower River Region. He said they do not have civil
servants and the members of the security forces with them during their
tour unlike the ruling APRC party.
The UDP leader said President Jammeh is not regarded by his peers in
both the African Union and ECOWAS and that the indication of this is
that he was denied the chairmanship of the AU when Gambia hosted its
summit in 2006. He added that as the longest serving president in the
sub-region he should have been given the ECOWAS Chair which went to
President Macky Sall of Senegal, a late comer. He said this is because
of the human rights deficit in the Gambia.
Mr. Darboe said the president should have been a unifier but instead
his leadership is bent on dividing the people.
He cited the declaration of persona non grata of the EU Chargee
d’Affaires and the expulsion of the businessman, Hussein Tajudeen, as
inimical to the economic interest of the country.
The UDP party leader described the removal of the former Chief Justice
Chowhan of Pakistan, as reported in some newspapers in the country, as
an attempt to interfere with the independence of the judiciary.
He said the arrest and detention of the 13 year old boy and the others
detained in connection with the 30 December 2014 insurgency as a
violation of their rights. He said the case of the 13 year old is a
crime against humanity and those who are responsible for it should be
found culpable of committing such a crime.
He denounced the resolution passed by the National Assembly declaring
slavery and colonialism as crimes against humanity while there are
detentions without trial in the country.
He concluded that the APRC government has failed and that President
Jammeh should convene a national conference to address the problems
facing the country which he cannot solve.
Speaking earlier were Mr. Kemeseng Jammeh, Alhaji Momodou Sanneh, Mr.
Lamin Dibba and Mr. Dembo Bojang among others.]]>
