Madi Jobarteh has said he is ready to occupy Banjul for 90 days to pressure President Adama Barrow into re-launching the draft constitution.

The draft constitution’s journey was last month brought to an agonising end after MPs voted against a bill that sought to send it to the next stage – a referendum.

The European Union on Monday stated that it was concerned that there has been a ‘marked’ slowdown in the country’s reform process as it calls on the government to take the lead.

But according Madi Jobarteh, “until We the Citizens occupy McCarthy’s Square to demand the President resubmit the draft constitution and ensure its passage this country will not progress”.

“I am ready to occupy Banjul for up to 90 days to achieve that objective! Are you?” Mr Jobarteh wrote Monday.

The United States has said it views the establishment of a transitional government in the Republic of Mali as an initial step towards a return to constitutional order.

The Malian military in August this year kidnapped President Ibrahim Boubacarr Keita prompting his resignation.

The colonels who orchestrated the coup have now handed power to a civilians transitional president.

The United States Department of State in a statement by spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on October 3 said: “The United States views the establishment of a transitional government in the Republic of Mali as an initial step towards a return to constitutional order. We urge the transitional government to honor its commitments to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including holding democratic elections within 18 months.

“It will also be important for the transitional government to fulfill its pledges to the Malian people to strengthen governance, combat corruption, reform electoral processes, and implement the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. We call on the government to respect human rights and take concrete steps to prevent violations of those rights by state security forces, and to investigate and hold to account those responsible when violations do occur.

“We firmly believe that a democratic, prosperous, and secure Mali is essential to the future of the Sahel region. As a partner of Mali for over 60 years, the United States will work with all who are committed to these goals. Now is the time for Malians to come together to build a better, brighter future for all.”

By BBC

Despite only having seven doctors for every 100,000 people, Senegal has been widely praised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC’s Mayeni Jones and Naomi Scherbel-Ball look at how the country has managed to keep Covid-19 in check.

“When the first case came, we were very anxious and I was angry because it was an imported case,” says Dr Khardiata Diallo, who co-ordinates the epidemic treatment centre at Fann Hospital in the capital, Dakar.

“We worried that we lacked equipment, for the treatment of coronavirus there were just 12 beds with limited oxygen supplies for the whole country.”

That was in late February when a Frenchman had returned to Dakar from a skiing holiday with a fever, sore throat and headache.

He was Senegal’s first case of Covid-19, the second reported case in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Diallo, who was part of the team that treated the country’s single Ebola case during the West African outbreak of 2014 as well as other cholera outbreaks over the last 15 years, knew they needed to act quickly to contain the pandemic.

Free 24-hour testing

Her colleagues at the prestigious Institut Pasteur in the Dakar, which in February was one of just two laboratories in Africa that were able to test for coronavirus, trained staff from dozens of other countries on how to test.

By April, 43 countries on the African continent were able to diagnose Covid-19 effectively.

Today the lab in Dakar’s central Plateau district has a 24-hour operation and testing has been expanded across the country.

Tests for those with symptoms are free and results are released in eight hours.

While there have been concerns over low testing rates across the continent, the Africa Centre for Disease Control is supporting countries to ramp up testing levels and there are hopes that cheap self-testing diagnostic kits could help that effort.

The Institut Pasteur has been crucial to this effort, with its chief virologist Amadou Sall partnering with UK-based firm Mologic to develop two home test kits:

One to test if someone currently has the virus, similar to the currently used lab-based PCR swab tests

The other to check if someone has developed antibodies for coronavirus from a previous infection

Dr Sall says the manufacturing of the antibody test has already begun and they should be released in the coming weeks.

It will work like a pregnancy test, costing close to $1 (£.80) with results in just 10 minutes.

The home test that will show if someone currently has coronavirus has been delayed and is now being validated by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, but there are hopes it will still be out before the end of the year.

Higher levels of testing should also help with early diagnosis.

Ibrahima Diop, a 29-year-old telemarketer in Dakar, fell ill in April and was initially treated for malaria.

It was only at the insistence of his mother, who worked at a hospital, that he was tested and diagnosed with coronavirus – along with 60 of his call centre colleagues.

He was swiftly treated and released from hospital within a week – his case showed the need for people to seek tests in a country where symptoms can easily be confused with malaria, something the authorities have emphasised during their daily morning televised coronavirus briefings.

Singing to defeat the virus

A global Covid-19 response index by Foreign Policy magazine gave Senegal the highest possible score for its communication strategy – and top musicians too joined the effort to inform people.

In April they clubbed together to release Daan Corona, meaning “Defeat coronavirus” in the local Wolof language.

The song features famous Senegalese musician Youssou Ndour calling on people to stay at home and wash their hands.

There are also colourful murals on the walls of Senegal’s oldest university calling on students to share the right coronavirus prevention techniques with their classmates, rather than sharing coronavirus.

Across the road, you can see the blue basins that have been set up for handwashing in some public areas.

In the early days of the pandemic, preventive measures were put in place including a state of emergency, full school closure and a night-time curfew

Restaurants, supermarkets and banks were quick to introduce temperature checks at their entrances.

While that’s now largely been relaxed, on Dakar’s streets face masks are still obligatory, a rule that was introduced as early as April.

Today all of Senegal’s 14 regions are equipped to treat coronavirus patients and there are now just 26 patients remaining on ventilators across Senegal.

In the acute coronavirus ward at Dakar’s Fann hospital, Dr Oumar Kane monitors his last coronavirus patient dependent on a ventilator.

The 58-year-old has been treated there for just over a week – he is diabetic.

To minimise contact, cameras from the ward link up to a television screen outside.

But back in March, when cases in Senegal first started to rise, Dr Kane remembers a very different situation.

“The problem was we only had 10 beds with ventilators and there were moments when there was pressure on the list, which meant that we would receive calls asking for a bed and we couldn’t receive the patient.

“That demand continued for around three weeks, until other hospitals were equipped.”

The number of recorded daily cases has been broadly decreasing since mid-August. recorded

Senegal, which has a population of 16 million, has only had 15,000 positive cases and just over 300 deaths.

Its strategy for containing the virus has adapted and many patients with mild symptoms are now treated at home, with hospital staff monitoring their condition remotely and delivering medicine.

Muslim pilgrimage challenge

When international flights re-opened in July, there were concerns that there would be a spike in cases.

Senegal, like many other African countries, has asked visitors to produce a negative Covid-19 certificate, dated no more than a week before travel.

On arrival passengers have their temperature taken. So far, these measures seem to have worked, with low levels of imported cases.

This week four million people are expected to attend the country’s largest annual festival, the Grand Magal of Touba.

It is a historic pilgrimage to Touba, which is 190km (120 miles) east of Dakar and is the spiritual home of the Muslim Mouride brotherhood.

The pilgrims queue for hours on the city’s streets to get to the Grand Mosque and to a mausoleum of the brotherhood’s founder.

While posters around the capital show the leader of the community calling on followers to wear face masks, gathering such a large number of worshippers in one place will be a crucial test as the country seeks to maintain the progress made so far.

Majanko Samusa has said UDP supporters accused him of spying on them after they found him at a compound near their party’s bureau in Manjai.

A video emerged online on Sunday showing the lawmaker being removed from a compound by a mob.

Mr Samusa told The Fatu Network: “They said I was spying on them but I have been coming to that compound dating back a long time, for 25 years.

“It’s our ‘grand place’. All of us. Even President Barrow used to come there. We were all into property business. They just came from UDP political bureau, 150 meters and said I was there to spy them.”

PPP has a new leader in Kebba Jallow following the appointment by President Adama Barrow of Papa Njie as the country’s new ambassador to Nigeria.

The PPP Party National Executive Committee convened an extraordinary meeting Sunday, 4 October 2020 where Njie informed the executive members about his appointment as an ambassador, a statement by PPP on Monday said.

The party said: “The members of the executive committee supported him to accept the offer that it is a national duty to serve the nation irrespective of political affiliation. It is with dedication and hard work Mr. Njie took the party at a difficult time and had since moved the party tremendously to attract a large number of youth and women who saw the party as the future for Gambian democracy and development. Mr. Njie abundantly makes it very clear that he will ever continue to support the PPP and will always be in consultation with the executive’s members of the PPP.

“The President Adama Barrow has enormous trust and confidence in Mr. Njie through his work with the PPP party and entrusts him with this vital role as the representative of the government and people of the Gambia to the federal republic of Nigeria. The PPP party does not doubt that Hon. Njie will diligently serve his country well.”

The European Union has said it has observed with growing concern a ‘marked’ slowdown in the pace of the nation’s reform process.

Last month, NAMs loyal to President Adama Barrow voted down the draft constitution after they expressed their reservation over how much terms President Barrow could serve under the new constitution.

A critical component of the New Gambia agenda, the foreign diplomatic top guns of EU, US, UK and Germany sought to meet President Barrow to discuss their joint statement calling on the NAMs to approve the draft constitution but were rebuffed – as the draft constitution went ahead to fail.

A statement by the EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell on the current political situation on Monday said: “The European Union has been at the forefront of support to the democratic transition in The Gambia since 2017 and to the reforms aiming at entrenching democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

“Over the last months, it has observed with growing concern a marked slowdown in the pace of the reform process and in particular noted the recent important setback with the rejection of the draft new draft new Constitution. It is key for the 2021 Presidential elections to take place on the basis of a new social contract.

“The constitutional review process is linked to other pillars of the democratic transition, in particular the transitional justice process with the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), as well as the Security Sector Reform (SSR). It therefore remains important to lay the foundations for the follow-up of these processes.

“Moreover, taking forward other significant reforms, such as the revision of the Public Order Law, media and access to information laws prior to the 2021 Presidential elections, requires decisive Government action.

“The European Union calls upon the Government to take the lead in building the necessary national consensus around the future direction of the democratic transition, with a new Constitution at its core.”

Young people through the National Youth Parliament have called on President Adama Barrow to address the nation on what next steps are they for the draft constitution.

In a statement signed by Fatou M Jawo deputy speaker, the young people savaged the decision by NAMs to reject the draft constitution and said it was a stab on their back.

They said: “This decision is a stab on the back of young people! The life of many young people in the country is mired in a sea of uncertainty and hopelessness. Young people across the country continue to face daunting challenges in their everyday lives.

“Access to higher education remains a major problem, the few that manage to gain this education face numerous stumbling blocks on their journey to a better life, with job opportunities virtually non-existent, forcing many to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“And when this document appeared to provide a ray of hope by making access to employment, education, training, as well as protection of young people from all forms of abuses a right, you deliberately blocked it. In this document, youth empowerment is a right not a privilege and rejecting it means you do not care about the empowerment of young people.

“As young people, we feel heartbroken, betrayed and rejected by your actions. And September 22nd 2020, will forever be remembered by us as a Day of Betrayal.

“To the President, His Excellency Adama Barrow, in times like this, you cannot remain silent. Your government tabled this bill to the National Assembly and it is only wise that you speak up. You promise us this constitution and it is your duty to chart a way forward by clearly detailing what the future holds for this document.

“Therefore, we demand that you (President Barrow) to urgently address the country on the next step for the Draft Constitution, 2020.

“We are equally calling on National Assembly members to put aside their differences and work towards finding a common ground before this bill is re-tabled for reconsideration which we hope will happen in the soonest possible time.”

The draft constitution failed because there was no consensus around it, the attorney general and minister of justice has said.

Dawda Jallow came under heavy bashing following the collapse of a bill that sought to send the draft constitution to a referendum.

Speaking for the first time on the issue on For The People By The People Show on Sunday, he said the draft constitution was a victim of lack of consensus.

“The document failed because there was no consensus around it,” the attorney general said.

The government is now planning to resurrect the document by appointing an independent body of stakeholders that would be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring there’s common ground.

The attorney general said: “We want the process to be led by people we can trust, not me. Our role here as a ministry is to facilitate, probably raised the necessary funding and logistics to support that process.

“This would be led by people that can be trusted and their objective is to get the necessary consensus around the document. The document failed because there was no consensus around it. If they can help us reach a consensus, it’s a political process, we cannot divorce politics from this. It is a political process. The parliament, a lot of politics goes in the parliament. So we need to get them on board. We need to find a way.”

With a little over a year to elections, the attorney general revealed it was still possible for the draft constitution to succeed ahead of next year’s presidential elections.

Mr Jallow said: “We’re pressed for time but it is possible. We’re working towards having this process completed if not before end of November but somewhere around that. So if we’re able to get everything done and we got a document that we can gazette, say end of November or December, we can meet the three months gazette period you are trying to refer to in the constitution which is a requirement.

“At least by March… And by March if we table it in the National Assembly by March, if we’re lucky it got passed, we can still have the referendum in time before the election. This is still possible. It’s tight but it is possible.”

President Adama Barrow has stated he is minded to continue working and bring greater development to the people.

“We will continue with our work while the talkers can continue with their talking. God does not reward wiseness, instead he rewards hard work,” the president told a crowd in Kaleng, CRR on Sunday while inaugurating a road built by his government.

The president has in past days been either laying the foundation stone, inaugurating or surveying infrastructural projects being carried out by his government.

Justice minister Dawda Jallow has said he agrees government would be breaking the regulation around public gathering if it is organised in contravention of the ministry of health’s regulation against such act.

President Adama Barrow has in past days been holding meetings to as far as in URR being attended by large crowds. There is often no social distancing and most people are seen not wearing face mask, which is criminal under the present law around face mask.

On The For The People By The People Show on Sunday, the justice minister Dawda Jallow said ‘agreed, yes’ when Pasamba Jow asked him if would it be “fair to say that your government is flouting the very rules, the very regulation that it put in place by organising all these meetings that you’ve seen over time, where you have crowds [and] there’s no social distancing, no mask wearing and you’re going around telling people not to go to Maagal”.

“If the gatherings are organised in contravention of the regulation, of course yes,” Justice Minister Jallow said.

President Adama Barrow’s decision not to meet with the ambassadors of EU, US, UK and Germany over the draft constitution has been branded as sad.

Last month, ambassadors of EU, US, UK and Germany reached out to State House to meet President Barrow over the draft constitution. The president declined to meet them.

Distinguished career diplomat Dr Sidat Jobe told The Fatu Network while stating his opinion on the president’s decision: “That was a very sad decision and I will tell you why. You see when we beat our chest and get very angry and denounce the West and denounce our development partners or even imagine denounce Ecowas, there are consequences to that.

“‘You do not want to meet our ambassadors, you want us to help you to maintain Ecomig, we will not do it’. They will refuse to do it and if they refuse to do it, Ecomig is going away and it’s one of the desires of the president. And if they do that, it doesn’t end there.

“You see, we overexaggerate our independence. When we say we’re independent, we should also be lucid enough to know what that entails. I only hope somebody can warn the president before it puts him in a very uncomfortable situation. Because if they want to revenge, they will block us…”

Omar Ceesay has called on the ministry of health to condemn President Adama Barrow over his recent activities which have been attracting large crowds and making it almost impossible for people to abide by the health ministry’s COVID-19 regulations.

In its attempt to stop coronavirus from spreading, the health ministry on Sunday through government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh issued a statement trying to dissuade citizens from travelling to Senegal for the Maagal pilgrimage. The press release warned that anyone who insists on leaving the country would have to provide a negative coronavirus test report be quarantined which they will pay for themselves.

Niamina East National Assembly Member Omar Ceesay said the ministry should first condemn the president if it wants it press release to have meaning.

He said: “The press release issued by the Government, through the Ministry of Health is flimsy and clumsy in nature.

“The said press release discouraging intending travellers to attend “magal” in Touba, Senegal holds no water in as much as the President and team continues to disregard the Ministry of Health’s precautionary measures. I have no intention whatsoever to jeopardize the health of our people especially in relation to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC but the press release appears to be unbearable, incredible and unconvincing, considering the current political happening in The Gambia involving the President.

“The recent laying of foundation stones by the President and supporters, including the Ministry of Health; among other top Government officials in different geographical locations within The Gambia is politically motivated and sends strong message to the citizenry that COVID-19 no longer exist in The Gambia as they grossly and disorderly disregarded COVID-19 precautionary measures. Regardless of the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 yet the Head of State and team blatantly continued on their political tour to score political points without any condemnation or discouragement from our health authorities including the Health Minister.

“People who are mobilised to attend the President’s political tour are mostly students and their parents who are farmers, their lives and livelihoods at stake by having learning centres and Lumos closed. The Government should be reminded that 673,300 students’ educational future are directly affected because of COVID-19 yet they are using them for political campaigns.

“I call on the Health Ministry to condemn the move undertaken by the President and team otherwise their press release is meaningless in nature.”

Citizens who are discriminated against in the selective enforcement of the ‘so-called’ public health regulations must resist, GMC leader Mai Fatty said on Sunday.

The government warned on Sunday citizens intending to travel to Senegal for Maagal pilgrimage must return with a negative coronavirus test certificate or they would be seized and isolated which they would pay for themselves.

President Adama Barrow and members of his government have however been busy in the past days holding meetings where there is always little regard for the public health regulations around coronavirus. There is often no social distancing and people are seen not wearing face mask.

GMC leader Mai Fatty reacting to the government’s press release said on his official Facebook page: “Gambia Government issued a Press Release today warning against Covid 19 violations. This is one of the most senile and hypocritical public notice so far. Based on the acts of public encouragement by the State and the NPP to disregard public health regulations, no institution or authority within the government has the moral or legal authority to issue such irresponsible public notice. The entire world bears testimony that the current tour of the Head of State with the massive crowds it attracts, intentionally defy all health regulations, with impunity.

“The timing of such an ill-advised tour during the pandemic, and the intentional failure of State authorities to enforce the Covid Regulations against the Executive delegates with the massive crowds that grace their functions, have deprived the State the temerity to preach safety. This reckless political tour during this pandemic, intended purely for campaign consequences, means officially 2021 campaigns have begun. Throughout the tour, not a single policy statement was uttered…its all about political campaign vibes, stories, etc. Clearly, this tour is intended to distract attention from the public backlash arising out of the disgraceful draft constitution 2020 fiasco. It demonstrates, unquestionably, that this government cares more about self perpetuating rule than the lives of Gambians.

“Leading by example, the government sends the message throughout the nation, that Covid is over in this country. If the NPP members were not negatively impacted for violating Covid rules daily, while no one among the President’s campaign crowds were negatively impacted by the Regulations, every one in this country will be free from the legal consequences of violating the Covid 19 regulations. This is the clear message from The Gambia Government. Citizens who are discriminated against in the selective enforcement of the so-called public health regulations must resist, and should be supported by all of us.

“Just like how the government killed it’s own draft constitution 2020 bill in parliament, the same government is wilfully violating its own Covid regulations. No one should take them serious because they don’t take themselves serious. The public should resist all legal attempts at selective enforcement of laws, regulations or rules. Its against equal protection clause and unconstitutional. Lastly, I urge all citizens to take the health measures seriously and help protect their communities. We are on our own.”

President Adama Barrow is ‘flagrantly’ defying Covid-19 public health regulations imposed by his government, Dr Ismaila Ceesay said in a tweet on Saturday.

President Barrow has in past days been holding meetings to give his consent on infrastructural project works across the country.

The meetings which are held out-door often give little regard to social distancing and the mandatory wearing of face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Dr Ismaila Ceesay, the president is violating the public health regulations set by his government.

“Gathering large mask-less crowds during a pandemic is reckless, irresponsible and a potential public health hazard. This blatant disregard for the rule of law must stop immediately,” Dr Ceesay tweeted Saturday.

In another tweet, Dr Ceesay addressed the president directly by saying: “@BarrowPresident you keep schools closed as part of your government’s measures to contain COVID-19. Yet, you irresponsibly gather hundreds of children to line the streets and welcome you and your entourage. Isn’t this selfishness and poor judgment? Or is it poor leadership?”

It’s ‘disgusting’ and ‘disingenuous’ for President Adama Barrrow to take ownership of the multi-million dollars World Bank funded Nafa quick cash transfer project, Dr Ismaila Ceesay has said.

The World Bank is supporting the country up to 31 million dollars to be shared to Gambians – but President Barrow at a meeting in Kerr Ali made no mention of the World Bank or how and where the money being given to Gambians came from. Instead, he only stopped at saying he will give each Gambian D3,000.

Dr Ismaila Ceesay blasted the president saying it is ‘disgusting’ and ‘disingenuous’ for him to take ownership of the project.

“These lies must be exposed,” Dr Ceesay said in a tweet Saturday.

APRC is a structured party and it is a congress that will decide if Yahya Jammeh would be the party’s candidate at next year’s election, according to the interim leader of the party.

APRC last Wednesday held a press conference to state its position on the rejection of the draft constitution. At the news conference, the party also addressed questions over whether the former leader who is the party’s ‘supreme leader’ would be their battle axe in next year’s presidential poll.

The party’s interim leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta said of the issue: “The government has a right to accuse him with whatever they may accuse him but the government has no powers and no right to deny a citizen from coming back to his country. So the decision to come back is at his own discretion and will and of course all of us.

“Two, candidate for APRC, even when Yahya Jammeh was here, Yahya Jammeh does not put himself as candidate. APRC is a structured party. What happens is we go to a congress and the congress decides who should be our flagbearer.

“If at the time, even if Yahya Jammeh qualifies and congress decides otherwise, he will not be our flagbearer. If the congress decides that he is going to be our flagbearer, who is any other person…Because he is the supreme authority of the party. So this idea of flagbearer not flagbearer, it can happen to other parties. For us, we have a process.”

The government has issued a statement calling on those wishing to travel to Senegal for the Maagal to have a rethink as Senegal continues to battle coronavirus.

The government said anyone who insists on travelling to Senegal would then have to provide a negative coronavirus test result or risk mandatory quarantine at his own cost.

The government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said in a statement Sunday: “As the annual pilgrimage; the ‘Grand Maggal’ in memory of the late Sheihk Ahmadou Bamba of Touba, Senegal, approaches, the public, especially, those planning to attend are hereby urged to adhere to the guidelines and quarantine protocols governing isolation and testing.

“All are reminded that COVID 19 remains one of the most frequent cases of consultations at health facilities across our sub region. It is recommended that individuals at high risk for COVID-19 either due to their age or pre-existing medical conditions, like diabetes, hypertension and respiratory problems, refrain from public gatherings.

“Therefore, based on its professional judgment, The Ministry of Health hereby discourages intending travellers from attending the “Maggal” as Senegal continues to battle COVID-19.

“However, those who defy this advisory shall provide respective negative PCR test results on COVID-19 within 72 hours upon their return before they are allowed re-entry into the country. Those who fail to provide negative PCR tests at the border entry points shall undergo mandatory quarantine at their own cost. The quarantine period, to be at Government recognized facilities only, could be up to 3 days and may cost some D6,900 or even more, depending on duration and individual circumstances.

“Accordingly, citizens and residents are hereby reminded that, “The Public Health Emergency Act (Dangerous Infectious Diseases) Protection Regulations, 2020” empowers the Minister of Health or Officers acting under his authority to institute strict measures as to when and where necessary.”

Wanja Kaaria Ndoho has met foreign minister Dr Mamadou Tangara for the last time after her time serving as UN World Food Programme’s country representative ended.

Kaaria Ndoho met Dr Tangara on October 1 at the minister of foreign affairs, according to a statement by the ministry.

The statement signed by spokesman Saikou Ceesay said: “Ms. Kaaria Ndoho was at the Foreign Ministry to bid farewell to the Honourable Minister following the end of her two year stint in The Gambia. Ms. Kaaria will proceed to Cameroon where she will serve as United Nations World Food Programme Representative and Country Director.

“In receiving the Out – going UN WFP Representative and Country Director, the Honourable Minister commended Ms. Kaaria Ndoho for her contribution to the socio-economic development of the country especially in the areas of agriculture, health and education. The Minister wished Ms. Kaaria achieved success in her tour of duty in Cameroon.

“For her part, Ms. Wanja Kaaria Ndoho, expressed thanks and appreciation to the Foreign Ministry for the support rendered to WFP during her tenure. Ms. Kaaria Ndoho said she would leave with fun memories of The Gambia and would want to visit Gambia in the nearest future.

“It could be recalled that Ms. Kaaria Ndoho started her tour of duty in The Gambia in August 2018 following presenting her Letters of Credence to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mamadou Tangara.”

Opposition GDC has announced Abdoulie Cham has been nominated to serve as deputy propaganda secretary of the party.

The party’s central executive committee nominated Cham into the role with effect from Monday 28 September, 2020, according to the party’s spokesman Ahmadou Kah.

A founding member of GDC, Abdoulie Cham left GDC last year to join President Barrow. Last month, he walked back his support for the Gambian leader and returned to GDC.

He will now serve in the capacity of deputy propaganda secretary until the party’s next congress.