An official of the ousted People’s Progressive Party of former Gambian President Sir Dawda Jawara dispelled the notion that the party is dead. Bakary Bunja Dabo said the PPP is still alive and kicking.
The former Vice President of the ousted government told the party’s Maryland meeting that “PPP it’s not buried; it’s half dead but the project is up with full sense,” he said. Mr. Dabo said the party leaders’ United States tour was a response to its sympathiser’s call.
Mr. Dabo described the PPP as a party that ruled the country with excellent leadership qualities. He said the party that is approaching 60 years of existence was privileged to rule the Gambia with honour and not by force.
“The party spoke the clean language of truth; we have ideas to provide leadership, we did not to impose ourselves as leader of the people,” he added. Dabo noted that PPP acted with the youths to improve the lives of the citizens. “It’s a party that respects people’s mandate; the people were regularly consulted every five years throughout the period. The citizens renewed their confidence in them, which is honourable.”
Bakary Dabo, who resides in the United Kingdom, said it was rather unfortunate for the legally constituted government of Sir Dawda Jawara to be overthrown in a violent manner in July 1994. “The PPP party came to be seen by the violent people as the very symbol representing all that they hated. That’s free expression of the people’s will. Our vehicles, our properties as a party were confiscated,” Mr. Dabo said, adding that the party’s members have been abused morally, physically and psychologically.
“For 20 continuous years, this party which has done so much for the gambian people have repeatedly shown their confidence and love came to the receiving end of propaganda machinery. The same information machinery continued exclusively aimed at destroying the image of PPP by lies and fabrication for 20 years. It’s a mircale for one to say that PPP is still alive based on onslaughts,” he said. Mr. Dabo said even the mere mention of his name on the phone scares people in the Gambia.
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