GMC Boycotts Opposition Alliance Talks

mai(2)The opposition Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) says it is not attending an opposition alliance talks spearheaded by Mrs. Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang at the YMCA today. In a press release pasted below, the party leader Lawyer Mai Ahmed Fatty sees no reason why the party should attend such a meeting when its leadership does not receive any invitation.

GMC WILL NOT ATTEND MRS TAMBAJANG’s TALKS

We are surprised to learn of a proposed meeting to be held today at the invitation of Mrs Tambajang’s group on coalition talks. Like some opposition political parties we consulted this morning, GMC did not also receive any invitation or document from Mrs Tambang’s group contrary to the press release.

Although we support the idea in principle and would commend Mrs Tambanjang for the laudable initiative, we regret that GMC cannot partake in deliberations on a matter and on the contents of documents it knows nothing about. We also noted that the group invited a non existing political party PDC, on the status of a lawfully registered political party. We require clarification on that as well. We propose that the group inform and advise itself on the political party stakeholder situation first. It is imperative to get things right from the start.

Mrs. Tambajang’s group’s media notification to us inevitably conditioned us to use the same medium to offer our reply to them. Inviting us through a press release, regrettably, is a matter that we cannot formally submit to our National Leadership for a position to be taken, plus the absence of any relevant documents alleged from the group. Consequently, we state our readiness to fully participate at all talks if we are formally invited and provided with necessary documents proposed by Mrs. Tambajang’s group.

We would encourage Mrs Tambajang to reschedule today’s meeting to afford all stakeholders equal opportunities and facilities to effectively contribute and add value to the initiative. Only through such a participatory process shall all stakeholders fully take ownership and implement resolutions. We remain committed to a consensus principle and have been advocating such consistently.

Pa Nderry MBai, Demba Baldeh, Fatu Camara, Suntou Touray, Sanna Camara, Sainey MK Marenah, MamaLinguere Sarr and other media personalities are being informed herein for necessary action.

Ends

16 Comments

  1. Lafia Touray la Manju

    Not a surprise. It’s fatoumatta Tambajang.

  2. Sajar Camara

    That is very immature for Mai. Grow up. This is about Gambia not about your personal ego. Grow up for God’s sake…

  3. Janjanbureh

    Sajar, please get all the facts before commenting on any issues. It is very wrong to invite political parties to a meeting without first notifying them prior to the final national meeting. You needed their input and comments so that all obstacles will be taken care of before announcing the date of the meeting. Secondly, I have notice that many names are listed as political party leaders when their parties never registered with IEC or most people never had of them. This is becoming a joke where everybody is a party leader when some cannot even boast of 100 supporters as members of their political party. What I see is that some people within the diaspora and others at home are working together to undermining the political struggle in the country. How can all theses folks be recognized as political leaders in this discussion? What political capital are they bringing to the table?

  4. I love Jammeh. He will be there billion years. If you can’t win, join them. Gambians are not ready for Jammeh to leave.

    What depresses me most is that we will be talking about the same thing in the next election cycle. The one coming in December is over. Jammeh is declared the winner last January.

  5. Janjanbureh

    Malang, please give us a break. Your party is not part of the discussion here.

  6. Deyda Haidara

    According to the informations I gathered ALL parties have been notify at the same time.

    • Janjanbureh

      Deyda, are they given time to review the proposal and make suggestions or comments? Remember, some of these parties mentioned are one person parties like NDAM, NCP, PDC, and GDP. Therefore decisions are made instantaneously without consulting any executive committee members because there is no committee to report to.

  7. Lamin ceesay

    Mai is very irrelevant when it comes to the Gambian body politics.

  8. It looks a bit messy but let’s hope the challenges can be overcome…Building consensus for a grand coalition in The Gambia will not be easy..

  9. Bax, it needs not be a grand coalition. All it needs is a coalition of willing and resolute parties. Those parties claiming relevance and making it complicated, should – for the sake of smooth collaboration of the willing – stay on the fence.

    • Kinteh, a Grand Coalition should be the first option because it offers the best chance to achieve electoral victory…A coalition of the willing has happened TWICE and failed TWICE..I don’t know how such a formula will succeed at the third attempt, unless you know something we don’t know…

      • You can’t force other parties to join a coalition unless they are willing. Willingness is the lacking commodity. In the absence of willingness, I think it is absolutely right that the bandwagon pulls out.
        Yes the coalition has failed twice to dislodge the incumbency but that doesn’t mean that such an alliance is rendered obsolete. Ultimately you either pull along or stay on fence.

  10. The opposition parties and their leaders are the ones living the everyday reality of Jammeh’s Gambia, but sometimes one wonders whether they are in permanent denial or may be some in secret collaboration with the regime.

    Instead of coalescing around the simple idea of challenging Jammeh’s unilateral imposition of unachievable conditions on the parties, time is being wasted on trying to find a coalition flag bearer.

    Under the current political climate, such would only make sense if there is second round voting, which the opposition should fight for re-inclusion in our electoral laws. All else is wasting time and according Jammeh legitimacy come December 2016.

  11. Mai is a disappointment.

  12. The Hammer

    what some people fail to understand is that a united front sends a strong signal to the Gambians that our politicians are ready to put individual ambitions, ideologies aside for the betterment of Gambia, it also send a strong signal to the diaspora to gets its act together and provide funding, lastly it will tell the international committee chief among which is Senegal that we are ready and serious. No one will help us unless we help ourselves. Yallah will not land in Banjul to rescue us. The Arch Angel didn’t tell me this, it is common sense.

    A united front will unequivocally receive more funding. Folks like me who never contributed because we believe that individually the opposing parties cannot win will surely open our pocket books.

    It is 2016, if we put the Gambia first we can do it. Gambia should come before our individual parties, rescuing her is more important than out tribes and regions.

    I do not know what it will take for Gambians to realize that we are in this together. A better Gambia with equal right, equal playing filed regardless of connection, status, tribe and region is the surest path to everlasting peace.

    • Lafia Touray la Manju

      They can put aside everything but not fundamental principles. Otherwise, things will collapse before we know it; just like that. I will therefore urge the UDP to guide themselves with principles and simply ignore unintelligent sentiments.

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