The United Democratic Party has been travelling and holding mass rallies all over the greater Banjul area in recent months. The last venue to stage a mass rally was New Jeswang. The area’s rally, held there on February 21st, is believed to have been the biggest, atteacting more people than rallies held in Bakau and Brufut. This, according to UDP youth Secretary Solo Sandeng, “is an indication that Gambians want to ditch President Jammeh for good. People have been following us everywhere, in fact, the demand for our T-Shirts and party ID cards have since surged. There is no Golden Yellow paper available in the Gambia anymore to print more ID cards.”
For the UDP’s female youth president, it is time for Gambians to turn words into action. “The talk is enough and Gambians have to see the back of Jammeh and his failed government, a goal we must achieve to leave the future of the Gambia in good hands for our children,” Fatoumatta Jawara said.
The main opposition party officials said the rallies, which came after the party’s standoff with intruding police at Fass Njagga Choi last year, are being organise to engage Gambians on the urgency of matters affecting their country. “People have to know what is at stake, and that the youths as the able-bodied segment of our country must be ready to stand up and be counted,” Solo Sandeng told Kairo News.
One UDP youth leader laid emphasis on the need to pursue the electoral reform agenda even if it means confronting the APRC leadership from all fronts. “This is going to be first explored through the G6 and if that fails, as a party, we must be ready to take action,” a youth leader sounded.
The UDP is scheduled to hold another rally in Talinding next Sunday. The party leader Lawyer Ousainou Darboe said the rallies are essential. “You cannot take serious action that will affect the people without first engaging them on their role in it. For far too long, we have been constrained by finance and handicapped by utility items such as vehicles, motorbikes, and other modes of transport to challenge the constant APRC propaganda, but we have come to the realisation that an efficient utilisation of our resources will enable us to reach Gambians in their places and dialogue with them. This started since April 2015 when we embarked on a nationwide tour.”
Mr. Darboe said the UDP will continue the rally trend until the party’s Congress in Basse. “We will explore all options available to us to confront and challenge the bad electoral laws and the need to have a lasting level playing field. I can see clearly people are tired and are now ready to put an end to oppression in the country.”
Ends
UDP, don’t waste your energy and time on trying to forge a coalition as you did in 2011. It won’t happen as others are hell-bent on not having it. So go on and take your message to the people. They are the ones who matter. I like to say it as it is.
Thanks
Thanks for updating the audience on our ground game. The only way we can get rid of this incompetent, tyrannical Jammeh – led government. UDP will lead to defeat and replace APRC come December 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbQiyxnxOkQ&feature=player_embedded.
Wow, UDP should turn this crowd into a lethal weapon
Bara wuloo! wuuuu! That made me sweat. Gees!
Thanks you UDP Bakau Komani
Thanks Lafia Touray {Suntu} Will see you on Dec 2nd 2016 by the grace of Allah {SWT}.
Lafia, can you see your insincerity and hypocrisy.
In the last article, u blamed PDOIS and Halifa for the political actions they do within their party. But here you are commending UDP for theirs.
Are the UDP activities geared towards unifying the opposition and are they campaigning for the entire Gambian opposition or just UDP.
Why can’t we simply support our parties and leave others to do the same.
At least the PDOIS has
1. Identified their position for a unity and said are committed to negotiations with diverse options.
2. They have identified their flag bearer who would lead him to a coalition or if no unity, to the election.
Please show us what ur party has done so far towards a unified opposition other than asking all to come and unconditionally rally behind them. And, asking others to push for a constitutional amendment to enable Darboe to start again for a fifth unsuccessful attempt.
Parties can only contribute effectively to a coalition if they energise they base.
As you know udp did not yet announced a candidate but it will be in order and in line with coalition their aspiration if they do so since they are the largest party with the sole and rightful claim of legitimacy to lead any coalition they are part of. Parties who cannot stomach this are insincere and should not pretend to be for s coalition because they are not.
Comparing pdois and udp is like mixing oranges and baked beans
Thanks
Well I can safely say that it was the Udp thst initiated and organised the coalition talks of 2011, the only party ever to have done so since 1996. What about yours, and please do not tell me about a proposal that pdois never had the guts to present to any potential partner or other political parties.
And by the way, you can bring along the conditions you would like to see attached to a Udp led alliance. It has always been udp ‘s purpose to accommodate such conditions provided they are not too obnoxious.
By the way, pdois’s primary appears to be a sham. The outcome also appears to be stage-managed and then you have a candidate in the person of Halifa Sallah to thwart any prospect of a coalition. Well done Halifa Sallah for owing sidia jatta and outsmarting everybody in pdois.
Thanks