By Alhagie Jobe
Halifa Sallah, the leader of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) and former contender for the leadership of the opposition coalition in The Gambia has described the formation of the coalition and election of standard bearer as a ‘beginning of a new beginning’, imploring on Gambians to make change on December 1.
In his solidarity message after the election of Adama Barrow of the United Democratic Party as coalition standard bearer at Sunday’s Convention at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, Mr Sallah said the convention is historic, has never happened and shows that The Gambia will never be the same again.
The National Convention for the Opposition Parties was held under the theme “United to salvage Gambia for peace and justice”, with the single objective of electing a standard bearer for an alliance to face the incumbent President Yahya Jammeh who is seeking for a fifth term.
Halifa Sallah reminded people that the opposition parties are coming together to strengthen the multi- party system and win the December elections.
To Adama Barrow, the coalition leader, Mr Sallah made it clear that he is a person standing as an independent candidate and serving no single party. He said Mr Barrow is the instrument to end impunity in this country.
“That is what we agreed. He will make a promise to serve three years as president, then that Cabinet will be dissolve and we go in for election were by all political parties will stand independently and contest” he explained.
According to Mr Sallah, this is coalition of hope, democracy and justice citing the deteriorating human rights violations in the country and the need to change the APRC regime. He urged the coalition leader if elected as president, to make sure that his heart will beat in unison with the heart beat of every suffering Gambia and prevent every Gambian from being subjected to torture, inhuman and any degrading punishment.
He also reminded Gambians that no one should utilize the coalition for individual interest saying the national interest should be supreme.
“Collectively, we are together. We can utilize our intelligence and energy and make history. We are in the process of making history and we can make history only if we make change and bring in a system that will earn the respect of the people” he said.
Meanwhile at Sunday’s convention, Adama Barrow, the recently nominated party leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) was been duly elected as the opposition coalition standard bearer to face incumbent President Yahya Jammeh in the upcoming election on December 1st.
Three other candidates who were vying for the coalition leadership are Hon. Hamat NK Bah, leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP); Hon. Halifa Sallah of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) and Lamin Bojang of the National Convention Party (NCP).
After a democratic and transparent election, the returning officer of the Natonal Convention for the election of the opposition standard bearer Aja Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang certified and announced the results as: Adama Barrow of UDP: 308 votes (62.9 percent); Hamat NK Bah of NRP: 72 votes; Halifa Sallah of PDOIS: 65 votes and Lamin Bojang of NCP: 40 votes and the total number of votes registered was 490; invalid votes were 2 and 485 valid votes respectively.
