‘A memorandum of understanding cannot make Head of State to be Head of State’

(Wednesday 16th October 2019 Issue)

Former vice president has made a clear clarification over the much-talked about issue of the Coalition 2016 controversial memorandum causing confusion among the Coalition members and their sympathizers across the country.

Responding to State House press corps recently after members of Coalition 2016 met with President Adama Barrow, to extend his mandate to five years, Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang said “a memorandum of understanding cannot make a Head of State to be a Head of State.”

Considering some ongoing talks and debates calling-on the President to respect the Coalition standing Memorandum of Understanding and step down after three years in office, Madam Jallow-Tambajang said that the document that member of coalition 2016 unanimously approved and took to the IEC to recognize the Coalition flag bearer as a presidential candidate, is the same agreement they are now going to legally amend in line with the decision they took.

The Coalition chairperson recognized the importance of the memorandum, explaining that “the memorandum of understanding is important but the fundamental is the agreement which was signed by all parties.”

As Coalition is just a body, she said members take into consideration the views and opinion of people and heard the voices of every Gambian.

“But The Gambia is beyond just a coalition. Therefore, we have agreed that our flag bearer who is now the president of this country, on the bases of the incompletion of the reform agenda we decided as a Coalition to extend the social legitimacy from three years to five years.”