By: Modou Touray
Regional chairman of West Coast Region for the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Mr. Lamin Jatta, has expressed confidence that his leadership will give the NPP 20 of the 28 counsellor seats in West Coast Region.
He was speaking on the forthcoming local government election, his re-election bid as chairman of West Coast Region and related issues.
“I am confident that I shall win 20 seats out of 28 in next year’s local government elections.”
He warned members and supporters of the NPP against intraparty conflict, noting that they should embrace unity and social cohesion for the progress and success of the party.
“If you don’t obey me as your leader, even if you win to be chairman, my supporters will never accept you. This is what lead to long lasting hatred.”
Responding to questions on his bid to contest in the forthcoming NPP congress, chairman Jatta pointed out that the fate of his re-election lies in the regional party delegates of the west coast region.
“With or without position, I am always NPP. To be chairman, a member of the delegates must dominate you seconded by another delegate. If there is opposition to my nomination, then we proceed to party elections. There are procedures in political party candidates’ selection process,” he said.
As preparations for party congresses underway, Mr Jatta clarified that there is so far no application for the post of regional chairmanship for West Coast Region.
“It’s not to my knowledge as at now whether someone is interested in the position or not. Anyone interested in the position must have the party at heart. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) recently dispatched a press release reminding all registered political parties to conduct biennial Congress by 31st of December,2022.
I was nominated by party delegates from the entire 12 constituencies of west coast region to contest as chairman. If I have any intention to resign, I shall notify those delegates respectfully but not on social media.”
Mr Jatta has been a key influential figure in the formation of the National People’s Party (NPP) with a break-away faction of the 2016 coalition team.
Recently, there has been vigorous political campaign against him to resign by a group “operations clean NPP” who accused his executive of dominating incompetent candidates in the last national assembly elections. Out of the 12 constituencies, NPP only won Old Yundum.
“I don’t select any candidate for national assembly elections. It’s the mandate of the constituency committees to select their candidates. My task is to campaign for whoever is selected as my party candidate.”
Some NPP supporters hinted this medium that underground campaigns are in high gear to challenge Mr Lamin Jatta but at the time of this publication, no one publicly declare his/her bid to do so.
