Coalition has never discussed Jammeh’s fate after the presidency Says Halifa Sallah, Spokesperson
By Ousman Sillah
The news that the new rulers of the Gambia vowed to prosecute outgoing president Yahya Jammeh has led many Gambians to wonder about the fate of the transition.
President elect Adama Barrow is yet to assume office and Foroyaa decided to interview Halifa Sallah, the Spokesperson of the Coalition, on the issue.
According to him, the fate of outgoing president Jammeh has never been a subject of discussion.
“It has been brought to my notice that in an interview with the Guardian Newspaper, Fatoumata Tambajang, a stakeholder in the Coalition, has been quoted as aying that “the Gambia’s new rulers vow to prosecute the outgoing president,” says Halifa Sallah, the Coalition Spokesperson.
Sallah added “her statement constitutes a misrepresentation of the position of the Coalition. At no time has the Coalition discussed the fate of outgoing President Jammeh after the presidency. What President Elect Barrow has told outgoing President Jammeh in a telephone conversation that was in the public space was that he would be consulting him after assuming office, since he has knowledge of what transpired in government for 22 years.”
Sallah further observes that “The Gambia is in a very delicate political situation requiring mature political balancing act to ensure the smooth transfer of power.”
The Spokesperson indicated that the election results show very clearly that the combined votes of the losers are more than the votes of the winner. This, he added, shows that Gambian society is still politically fragmented requiring great tolerance to avoid any friction.
He said the National Assembly is still fully under the control of the APRC party requiring multi partisan cooperation to conduct government business. He noted that what the Coalition has been trying to do is to earn the trust of all Gambians, including the security forces, to ensure a smooth transfer of power followed by free, fair and genuine national assembly elections.
The Spokesperson revealed that the Coalition has set up a transitional team and has drawn up a road map on the modalities for the smooth transfer of power and that initiatives are being made to engage the teams of the incoming and outgoing presidents so that they would work out the modalities for the peaceful transfer of power.
In this regard, he concluded, all Coalition stakeholders are required to guard their comments and limit them to what has been agreed upon by all stakeholders to prevent conflicts of opinions and the derailing of the transition process.
Culled from Foroyya
Ends
Nobody, neither Madam Tambajang nor Mr Sallah is “lying” on the issue currently at stake under discussion here…
Fatoumata is being frank & candid; call it “undiplomatic” if you like; while Halifa framing his words, being “diplomatic”; both are in effect saying the same…
It’s ONLY a miscalculation on our MURDEROUS kanilai KILLER DEVIL’s path, based only on Bloated POMPOSITY that Zeinab for one & the children are caught entrapped in the Gambia at the material time; on hindsight DEVIL yaya would’ve Zeinab & children out before elections if time could rewind back…
Just like PHARAOH & ALL ‘Devils In Human Flesh’, yaya Jammeh too thought was “playing (acting) god” & felt INVINCIBLE for the past 22 years…
The reality has now sunk in, BOTH with yaya Jammeh & Zeinab, & ANYBODY else whosoever can be in denial; yaya got no other choice but to succumb to the dictates of reality & play along the flow purely for the SAFETY of the children in particular…
Local media reports, foroyaa in particular is reporting of ‘combats ready’ scenes at “strategic locations” of the current bunch of selected military team yaya Jammeh remains in charge of for the next month or so; most of these are some indoctrinated personnel who misconstrue patriotic loyalty…
It’s a real waste of time, energy & resources to dedicate & engage in debate whether or not to prosecute or even speculate…
There are many other areas deserving our resources right now for our progressive nation building…
Long live the Gambia…
If the coalition did not discuss the fate of Dictator jammeh during its formation , Gambian people will decide his fate after his presidency. Yaya jammeh has presided over a brutal regime which committed so much atrocities in the past 22 years . A coalition leadership who are interested in justice and peace in our country must think about the victims of this regime. Majority of citizenry voted for coalition because of justice they want to see happen in our country. The justice and truth must be at the back of the mind of the coalition leadership so that history never repeats itself. Yaya jammeh must be accountable to Gambian people. Gambian people have spoken in this election and majority have repudiated this regime. Election have consequences, in this election we have replaced lawlessness with constitutional rule and democracy. Gambian military have no choice but to listen to verdict of the taxpayers who are responsible for their salaries and welfare. Yaya jammeh must face competent court when the dust is settled.
Thanks a lot Mr Halipha Shalla
You are really a sound public figure and a gentleman but someone that can’t be missed in our Gambian political domain.
I also believe Ms Fatumata J Tambajang’s statement was one that she made while boosting out of rage yet only letting emotions gets better of her entirety instead of being ethically thoughtful and be mindful of her wordings.
She had indeed lost it badly as she was totally undiplomatic in untidy of bashing out of control and irresponsibly seeking media attention while within the chance of destroying her only good reputation of being the engineer of the opposition coalition blueprint that she had also dynamically rendered in a unique political fashion of unbeatable and still being the talk of town.
The past election was not a referendum on Gambians for the newly elected regime to prosecute anybody if I may remind my ladyship Madam Fatumata J Tambajang. But one that was purely based on regime change and the citizens of Gambia exercising their God given rights and citizenry duties to choose a leader of their choice and nothing more.
I don’t know what else got on to her to become so unguided with disarray and what might lead to her slippery lip service that she was according to the media or the new regime agendas are on Gambian judicial prospects but comes the transitional epic, Gambian people like I myself would make sure the country is govern with ethical ways of life and not with some daydreaming gimmicks from people who are frantically trying to attract the media by force.
Yaya Jammeh is so far playing by the constitution that govern the state, so why not do same as you have been bragging about being more understanding and being aversely solicitous to the Gambian frail status than him instead of jumping to conclusion even before the transition is completed?
I call it, too much egos without proper directives is sending people like Ms Fatumata J Tambajang hilariously while now so is at stake hence much more is about to be at tantalizingly only by the new comers of whom difference was their pillage to my community of fragmented by political disloyalty of the former.
Thanks a lot Mr Halipha Shalla
You are really a sound public figure and a gentleman but someone that can’t be missed in our Gambian political domain.
I also believe Ms Fatumata J Tambajang’s statement was one that she made while boosting out of rage yet only letting emotions gets better of her entirety instead of being ethically thoughtful and being mindful of her wordings.
She had indeed lost it badly (the grip of political reality) as she was totally undiplomatic in her theme of bashing out of control and irresponsibly seeking for media attention while within the chance of destroying her only good reputation of being the engineer of the opposition coalition blueprint that she had also dynamically rendered in a unique political fashion of unbeatable and still being the talk of town.
The past election was not a referendum on Gambians for the newly elected regime to prosecute anybody if I may remind my ladyship ‘Madam Fatumata J Tambajang’. But one that was purely based on regime change and the citizens of Gambia exercising their God given rights and citizenry duties to choose a leader of their choice and nothing more.
I don’t know what else got on to her to become so unguided with disarray and what might also lead to her slippery lip service that she was according to the media, or what the new regime agendas are on Gambian judicial prospects but comes the transitional epic, Gambian people like I myself would make sure the country is govern with ethical ways of life and not with some daydreaming gimmicks from people who are frantically trying to attract the media by force.
Yaya Jammeh is so far playing by the constitution that govern the state either forcefully or not, so why not do same as you have been bragging about being more understanding and being aversely solicitous to the Gambian frail status than him instead of jumping to conclusion even before the transition is completed?
I call it, too much egos without proper directives. This is what is now sending people like Ms Fatumata J Tambajang to go hilariously jumpy with sensitive issues while now, so much is at stake of hence much more is about to be at tantalizingly only by the new comers of whom, difference was their pillage to my community of long fragmented by political disloyalty of the APRC regime.
I think Madam Tambajang should avoid speaking for the alliance when it already has a spokesperson. Neither the president -elect, nor the spokesperson has made any public pronouncements that may cause fear in anybody…. rather, they have been very reassuring, very humble, very guarded and all inclusive in all their public statements. That is what is needed at this point and stage of the power transfer process.
Obviously, the incoming government, as hinted by the President -elect, will undertake a whole series of reforms, as well as other related actions, in order to establish the facts surrounding a lot of the activities of the outgoing administration, which will lead to a truth and reconciliation process.
Mrs Tambajang is free to voice her personal opinion on what she thinks should happen to Jammeh (which is unwise at this stage due to her position in the alliance ), but she should never attempt to present the alliance position to the public, whilst a spokesman exists…
Moreover, the case of what should happen to Yaya Jammeh, is like the case of how long the horn of a bull that should be slaughtered is : Why struggle to determine the length of the horn of a living and strong bull, when it can done easily once it is slaughtered..?
Finally, no doubt the latest news coming from The Gambia about Jammeh’s U-turn will get people “going again”, but we must be calm. This time around, the initiative, the right, the power and the legitimacy is with us because we have the people’s MANDATE. He will hand over, or be driven out.