The Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) Mr Halifa Sallah, has said that his party is not a stumbling block to opposition party unity in The Gambia. Rather he said, PDOIS has been advocating for a system that ensures that each opposition party that wants to be part of the unity framework should come up with an agenda for such unity which is put on the table and thoroughly discussed.
He said: “parties should not talk of unity just for the sake of it. We are talking of unity because certain fundamental elements of our democratic process are lacking. So the opposition parties that want change in such a situation should have a clarity of purpose, so that we don’t replace one bad system with a worse one.”
Mr Sallah was speaking on The Fatu Network’s Today Show Program on Monday, January 25th 2016 during which he talked about a wide range of issues about the political situation in The Gambia and why the opposition parties have still not formed a coalition as being advocated for by Gambians both in the diaspora and on the ground.
Mr Sallah’s interview was preceded by that of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, leader of the largest opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). It is all part of efforts by the Fatu Network to engage Gambian political parties to form a formidable and viable coalition to contest the 2016 General Elections against an already entrenched dictatorship.
Halifa Sallah in the interview said PDOIS is till open to and yearning for an all opposition party unity. He however suggested a primary type of selecting who the coalition leader should be. He said the primary will ensure that parties put their programs to the people, to enable them select the party/candidate they believe has the most convincing alternatives to the current government. “We need this type of leadership selection so that those leading are doing so from a legitimate informed choice the people themselves make.”
Mr Sallah said he is hopeful of an opposition unity even before the elections if other parties can come to the table with an agenda for unity for scrutiny and discussion.
Answering questions from callers, some of whom vent their frustration at what they called the lack of urgency on the part of the opposition to form a united front against the incumbent, Halifa Sallah said by every imagination, the opposition are doing their individual and collective best efforts to bring back sanity in The Gambia. He said that effort may not be good enough for some in the diaspora but that should not be the reason for relentless opposition bashing.
Sallah urged the diaspora to continue the dialogue with the opposition but at the same time he said, the diaspora should also unite. On the issue of Gambians in the diaspora voting in elections, Halifa asked “If it happens in other countries, why not The Gambia?,”.
