The Gambia Consultative Council (GCC), recognizing the inalienable rights of the United Democratic Party, and all other political parties in the Gambia, to lawfully hold political demonstrations, protests marches, group meetings and public rallies, without being harassed by security agents of the Gambian military regime, as guaranteed by the Gambian Constitution, wishes to state unequivocally and without hesitation, that the Gambian military regime is over-playing its hand and crossing the boundaries of its authority by denying free speech to a political party; United Democratic
Party. In light of the regime’s desire to provoke an incident by denying the UDP the use of a public address system such as a bullhorn, the GCC wholeheartedly and without equivocation stands behind the United Democratic Party and every other political party that has been denied their inalienable rights to freely express themselves using whatever means available. GCC recognizes the stand-off between the military regime and a civilian political party, the UDP, as a stand-off between the regime and the entire people of the Gambia.
In light of this, it is every Gambians obligation to support the Gambian Constitution by supporting the United Democratic Party in an incident that is provoked by the military regime in its continuing efforts to limit Gambians abilities to dissent by victimizing the UDP. For twenty long years, the Gambian military regime under Yahya Jammeh, has executed, murdered, maimed, mass incarcerated, disappeared and forced the fleeing of thousands of Gambians. The regime has achieved its objective of instilling fear in the people, yet the truth is that its barbarity is the military regimes way of coping with its absolute fear of the Gambian people.
But, Gambians, driven by fear, as a result of twenty years of often gruesome human rights abuse, have been mute and allowed such callous barbarity to be the norm in a country that only seeks to live in peace. The GCC, therefore, urges other political parties in Gambian to echo PDOIS’s Halifa Sallah in support of allowing the UDP to exercise its inalienable right to use a public address system or a bullhorn.
By the same token, the Gambian people from Kartong to Koina are urged to support the UDP in this regime orchestrated stand-off, in order to finally end the senseless fear that has permeated every level of Gambian society. It is unimaginable and beyond reason to think that a nation such as the Gambia, can allow itself to live in a permanent state of fear and terror and for such a long period of time without its people rising up or suffering serious psychological issues as a result. If we want to live in peace and dignity, like other nations around us, we as Gambians must not allow ourselves to wallow in fear and terror of this regime; it is the regime that should live in fear and terror of we the people. All around the world and in Africa, governments are limiting their terms in office to a maximum of ten years; consequently, we must support UDP and the political parties, in their efforts for political change.
Yahya Jammeh has no bloodlines in Gambia, since he is a Casamance citizen, which is why he has the heart to executed, murder, torture, maim, mass incarcerate, disappear and force Gambians to flee the land they love; the land of their birth. We, the blueblood Gambians, regardless of tribe and geographic location, must now come together and coalesce around the UDP and the other political parties in the fight for the soul of our country. Yahya Jammeh fears “we the people” more than we fear him. So, let us fight to live in peace and freedom in our country without Yahya jammeh. Enough is enough.
Signed: The GCC Executive
