The
executive members of The Gambia for Five Years and Peace Building group
National Dialogue have disclosed that the group was not set up to counter the
rival group known as Operation 3 Years Jotna.
Speaking
at a national dialogue titled The Peace Conference organised by the The
AfriCare Initiative in collaboration with other peace advocates in The Gambia,
held in Labaranda Coral Beach Hotel, Saturday, Ebrima Soriba, an executive
member made a clear point that: “The Gambia for Five Years and Peace Building
does not exist to counter Operation 3 Years Jotna. And we are not being pact by
the government of the day, the least to say, President of the Republic.”
Soriba
maintained throughout the dialogue which brought together members of the Five
Years and Peace Building group, Operation 3 Years Jotna, NYC,
members/representatives of some of the existing political parties in The
Gambia, and as well as peace advocators that are nurtured to maintain peace,
that peace is a corporate responsibility of every Gambia.
He
expressed his delight over the event as arranged by the organisers especially
that the two groups were able to meet in the same hall to discuss peace and way
forward for the country.
He
stated that the reason behind the establishment of the group is “because the
peace and stability of this country got threatened.” He noted that the very
coalition partners – seven political parties plus one independent candidate
“that contested the 2016 election and won, amended and revoked the very
convention that says three years and want the president to continue and
complete the five years” as stated in the constitution.
The
bone of contention causing insomnia in the country he said, the “Operation 3
Years Jotna group wants to hold the president of the country to account for the
three years that he campaigned for as member of the coalition party.” He
continued: “While the president too has said in a general political rally in
Brikama that he would stay for five years; now we are having two opposing
groups.”
Therefore,
he said, “the peace is threatened and nobody is sure of the consequences as no
one can say it will unravel peacefully.”
He
opined that taking into consideration what might have been the consequences
should the protest go astray; in the event that protesters stick to their
demand while government tries to quell the situation, which could be perceived
illegal.
“We
decided to form the group to campaign for peace between the 3 Years Jotna
group, government and the citizens,” he added.
Sheriff
Soriba, another executive member of Operation 3 Years Jotna gave an in-depth
reason for the establishment of the group and why the fight for three years was
necessary.
He
stated categorically that “the only thing that brought change in 2016 was the
three years agreement, saying everybody should respect that. He argued that it
is the three years that liberated Gambians from the dictatorship.”
He
said the Operation 3 Years Jotna is not making a call to only the president to
respect the three years agreement “but also telling the president that the
power belongs to the people and we should all accept this because it is the
people that elected the president into power.”
Sonko
opined that “government has to respect people, while people too have to respect
the government.”
He
informed the platform that Operation 3 Years Jotna is a peaceful movement
formed by Gambians around the world.”
Coming
December, he said “Operation Three Years Jotna will come out to hold the leaders
accountable for what they have told us.” He emphasised that their movement will
not force the president to resign, saying “we are not forcing him but if we
leave it to be a tradition, our leaders will always do it and go with it.”
