National
Assembly Member for Brikama North, Alagie S. Darboe has said that His
Excellency President Adama Barrow could be seen as an enemy to the United
Democratic Party, after his recent move to publicly demonstrate his full
approval of a youth movement dubbed- Barrow Youth Movement for National
Development.
Though
the president also made it clear that this youth movement is not a political
wing, many political pundits tend to differ as many have labeled this movement
as a potential political foe to the UDP.
Darboe
made this disclosure at the party’s recent National Youth Congress, which
attracted thousands of party loyalists held over the weekend at Gunjur, Kombo
South.
“I
believe that both the president and his vice are the same people, they are all
from the same party and also share the same Cabinet. So if something political
is between the president and his vice president that should not mean it is
between the president and the UDP. But again we know that there is a youth
movement which the president has announced he is fully behind today and
tomorrow and will entirely support their development programmes. But today UDP
did not have enemies more than this youth movement. I can say that even APRC,
we are not enemies. So if the president says he is behind this youth movement
then we can also see him as an enemy to the UDP party,” he held.
Darboe
made it clear that ‘if anybody comes up with a National Development Plan’
agenda which is aimed at the progress of the country; everyone should rally
behind to ensure the full realisation of that agenda.
However,
he was quick to add that ‘if it is an individual political development agenda’;
no member of the party should betray the country and set up his or her own
political development agenda.
“I
am not saying that development agendas that are geared towards national
improvement should not be assisted by the party followers, but also never in
our action should we follow or help a self-political development agenda. It is
clear that UDP as a party that would not want to see the failure of the
National Development Plan which is for us all as citizens. Because don’t you
know that majority of the Cabinet members, parliamentarians, lord mayors, area
council chairmen and ward councilors are from the UDP. So it is clear that the
party will not sit to see the downfall of the National Development Plan,” he
added.