Ousainou
Darboe, Secretary General and leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has
called on President Adama Barrow to be faithful and respect the Coalition 2016
agreement that brought him to office in the 2016 presidential election.
“UDP
urges all the parties to the 2016 coalition agreement particularly its
principal beneficiary, President Adama Barrow to be faithful to the terms and
conditions of the 2016 coalition agreement and fulfil his promise to The Gambian
electorates that if elected he will serve for a term of three years only and
step down to supervise free, fair and transparent presidential elections.”
Speaking
Wednesday morning at a press conference at the UDP headquarters in Manjai, Mr
Darboe said all the terms and conditions that brought in the 2016 coalition
must be respected.
He
emphatically made it clear that UDP is not calling on any of its members to
protest, but they are asking President Barrow to be faithful to the 2016
agreement that led to his election as president of The Gambia.
“We’re
asking Barrow to fulfil the promises he made to the Gambian electorates. We’re
not asking anyone to go out and protest. We UDP don’t believe we should ask
anyone to go and protest.”
On
the issue of 3 years Jotna, he said it has some ramifications, hence he can’t
say he is in agreement with them. “President Adama Barrow needs to be faithful
and agree on what was agreed during the formation of the 2016 coalition. UDP
certainly is not coming out to support 3 years Jotna. We are just calling on
Barrow to fulfil the promise he made to Gambian people.”
He
said if there is going to be a protest, UDP will have to consider all the
conditions of the 2016 coalition agreement and the party has to meet and decide
whether it is necessary to go out to protest or not. “However, as of now, we
don’t think that we will go out to protest. We will leave that to President
Barrow and that his conscience should guide his action.”
Given
the sequential nature of the commitments, Mr Darboe said there is substantial
performance of the coalition 2016 agreement by the parties and there are no
reasons to fail or refuse to perform the fourth and last condition that is the
candidate of the coalition 2016 would resign after the end of his three years
transition.
Mr
Darboe also stated that the promises President Barrow made to the electorate
were more important than even the 2016 agreement. “Three years Jotna is
campaigning for Barrow to step-down but we at UDP are calling on Barrow to be
faithful and respect the 2016 agreement, hence the party stance and that of 3
years Jotna are quite different.”
He
said if Barrow refuses to leave at the end of his three years terms, then they
will tell him that he is not a man of honour and that he doesn’t deserve a
second term. “Even if he agrees to step-down at the end of the three years
term, we will bring back the statements he made to him and tell Gambian people
whether they could trust someone again who promised to step-down and fail to do
so.”
