Darboe Refutes Waa Juwara's Allegation

Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, the leading light of the Opposition United Democratic Party is the latest to react to allegations made by Lamin Waa Juwara that as of now, there is no formidable opposition challenge ahead of 2011 Presidential elections.

Darboe told our reporter in an exclusive interview yesterday that Juwara is one of those APRC party supporters who are always expected to make such comments.

According to him, NDAM, a party that Juwara leads is the only opposition party in the country that is dead and in the graveyards.

?Waa Juwara said that all the opposition parties are dead and that they should be buried but obviously NDAM is the party that is already in the graveyard. You cannot expect him to say anything more and he cannot claim that his party is in alliance with the APRC,? he added.

Darboe called on Gambians to start thinking hard when some political people made political statements.

?I think we should be looking at that,? he said.

Commenting on the possibility of forming yet another opposition alliance ahead of the 2011 elections, Darboe said only a Gambian who does not have this country at heart will oppose an alliance of opposition parties.

?We have always been advocating for a united opposition front and we continue to advocate for it,? he stated, adding that the UDP will not impose on the people but is prepared to hear from other parties as to how they go about things.

?We at the UDP would only tell the other parties about how they think things could be and to hear from them and together we can forge ahead?, he said. He was however quick to add that a party-led alliance is what is feasible and is what they should be working for.

?How we want it to be is certainly not the issue. I think the issue is what will we propose to the people because we will not want to impose our views on anybody, but we certainly will tell any of the opposition parties what we think should be done,? he noted.

The UDP leader categorically stated that the UDP, being the main opposition party should select the standard bearer as, according to him, the other opposition parties do not have the following of the masses to lead a coalition.

Quizzed as to whether he will offer himself as a candidate for the next Presidential elections, Darboe said, as of now he cannot say for certain whether he would contest or not, saying that the decision depends on his party.

?It depends if my party chooses me. I am not the candidate for the next elections as at now but if my party chooses me then I will be. I cannot as at now say that I am going to contest for the next election?, he said.

According to him, it?s too presumptuous of him to think that the UDP cannot produce a better candidate than him or think that ?if there is a coalition and we go to primaries, people cannot have a better candidate than me?.