The
founder of the much-talked about Operation 3 Years Jotna group has emphasised
that peaceful protest is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. He,
however, added that he’s not party to
any attempt to oust Barrow ‘unconstitutionally.’
Kaw
Yerro in a press release posted on his Facebook, states that “the main
objective to creating Operation 3 Years Jotna was to hold our leaders
accountable through peaceful means and not by hiding behind a political party
wanting to remove Barrow through window.”
“The
so-called chairman Abdou Njie’s letter dated 26 November, requesting a permit
on behalf of 3 Years Jotna to stage a protest next month to demand President
Adama Barrow step down is totally false and misleading, only intended to
mislead the population.’
He
added that: “We therefore urge all media houses to desist engaging such people
as this has the potential to lit up our country. Any protest will be held in
January when the present coalition agreement expires and not December as stated
and this will be communicated to the general public.”
Three
Years Jotna, he added, has no legal morality to request a violent protest from
the police. “The 3 Years Jotna under the leadership of Kaw Yerro has in their
strongest terms denounced Abdou Njie and his cohort of political opportunists
for their illegal move which has the potential to create chaos and violence in
the country.”
“I
am a patriotic Gambian by all standards. My interest is Gambia first before any
other politician. What some of us fail to understand is that The Gambia went to
the polls in 2016 because the constitution provides for that? It was not the
other way round. Even IEC, when declaring the elections result, the IEC chair
declared Barrow as the winner and should serve for 5 years as per
constitution.”
The
IEC chair, he explained, never quoted the coalition agreement/MOU, adding that
even in Senegal “our neighbour, where coalition governments has ruled for the
past decades, the Constitution always takes precedence over coalition
agreements”.
“What
would have happened if the elections were won by either the APRC or the GDC?
Would we have been talking about the president leaving after three years? No,
we wouldn’t be, and what we need to understand also is that the majority of the
Gambians that voted in 2016 presidential election actually voted for 5years and
not three years.”
Thus,
in short, Operation 3 years Jotna, he added, under the so-called leadership of
King Sports and his ill-informed chairman, Abdou Njie is politically motivated
and could only be described as domestic
terrorism.
“Their
camp is hijacked and politicized by UDP and want to remove President Barrow
through the window, which is unconstitutional and unacceptable”.
The rightful authority and holders of
Operation 3 Years Jotna, he noted, is Kaw Yerro and his executives.
“Consequently,
we are urging all Gambians to desist from engaging and adhering to this violent
and political group calling themselves Operation 3 Years Jotna”.
It
could be recalled that both these people were expelled from Operation 3 Years
Jotna, so they have no moral authority to speak for Operation 3 years Jotna.
“3
Years Jotna hasn’t applied for any permit and therefore Abdou Njie and his
group should stop misleading the population. Till the expiry of the coalition
agreement on 20 January 2020, the position of Operation 3 Years Jotna is to
engage government, coalition, partners and all stakeholders to a dialogue so as
to come up with a lasting solution for this entire saga.”
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