Citizens’ Alliance has issued a statement regarding a deal that has been reached by five of the nation’s political parties for a ‘grand’ opposition coalition.
An agreement document will be signed by the five parties today among them Citizens’ Alliance.
In a statement, CA explained: “The Citizens’ Alliance (CA) wishes to bring to the attention of its esteemed members and the general public that it had initiated a coalition talk among all opposition parties back in September 2021. This initiative was meant to set the basis for a formation of a grand alliance meant to avert a possibility for President Adama Barrow’s re-election and by extension initiate and implement the much needed reforms for sustainable socio-economic growth.
“Apart from the parties that have already thrown their weight behind Barrow, all other opposition parties responded to the clarion call except the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS). Therefore, insightful and progressive talks started among ten parties. Citizens’ Alliance (CA), Gambia For All (GFA), All People’s Party (APP), National Unity Party (NUP), Gambia Moral Congress (GMC), United Democratic Party (UDP), Gambia Democratic Congress (GMC), Alliance for National Reconstruction and Development (ANRD), Gambia Alliance for National Unity (GANU), and Gambia Action Party(GAP).
“Two parties (GANU and GAP) later quit on reasons best known to them. Based on a disagreement on the method for the selection of a flag-bearer for what would have been a grand alliance, the UDP and GDC withdrew from the coalition talks insisting that the flag-bearer of the alliance must be selected using the consensus model only, without a fall back option of voting by party delegates in case the consensus model failed to produce a candidate. Subsequently, ANRD walked away after disagreeing to the bringing into context Jammeh’s twenty-two years of rule in a bid to situate what the Barrow led government should have addressed but failed to do so.
“Based on the foregoing, only five parties (CA, GFA, APP, NUP and GMC) remain in the talks. These five parties have reached an agreement to form a common front under what would be referred to as “Alliance for Change 2021”. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the framework on which a flag-bearer will be selected, will officially be signed by the leaders of these parties on Wednesday 27th October 2021.
“CA wishes to unequivocally inform its members that the flag-bearer is yet to be selected. However, the party leaders of the five political parties that will sign the MoU will meet immediately after the signing ceremony to select the flag-bearer for the Alliance. In line with the MoU, the consensus model will first be used and in the unlikely event that it fails, a voting process by delegates will be applied. While maintaining a spirit of optimism that the like-minded people involved in this Alliance will succeed in choosing a flag-bearer that will be nationally electable, we wish to inform our members that in the event of a deadlock in nominating a flag-bearer, CA intends to proceed with the nomination of its candidate on 2nd November 2021.”
