The
United Democratic Party has issued a press release condemning as “false and
baseless” rumour that “the UDP will not contest in the December 2016 election
as a result of the current political crisis confronting the party as well as
the constitutional upper age disqualification of its leader”.
The
following is the UDP press release sent to this paper at the weekend:
UNITED
DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UDP)
It
has come to the knowledge of the executive of UDP that certain people are going
round telling people that UDP will not contest in the December 2016 elections
as a result of the current political crisis confronting the party as well as
the constitutional upper age disqualification of its leader. That Lawyer
Ousainou Darboe the Secretary General and Party Leader, has agreed with a
particular political party leader to put his weight behind him in the
forthcoming presidential elections.
The
executive committee of UDP wishes to inform its membership, and the general
public at large that, such information are not only false and baseless but
misleading, calculated to make a political gain from the support base of UDP.
Neither
Ousainou Darboe nor UDP has ever made any such arrangement with anybody or any
political party in connection with the forthcoming December presidential poll.
United
Democratic Party as a party is more determined than ever before to
democratically [assume power].
The
UDP has demonstrated as the best alternative political party that can bring the
change that the Gambians badly need. Its leader has proven to all and sundry,
that he is a leader worth following and capable of bringing sanity and good governance
in the country.
As
an opposition party, the UDP remains ever committed to the call for opposition
unity and genuine electoral reforms agenda aimed to create an environment for
the conduct of credible, free and fair elections as forwarded by the group of
six opposition parties and also backed by the inter-party committee for
opposition unification.
In
accordance with the UDP constitution, congress only elects the party leader and
the entire executive, the central committee receives, considers and approves
applications for the party presidential candidate whilst the selection
committee does the selection. In respect of the Inter-party dialogue and demand
for electoral reforms, UDP is yet to name a presidential candidate and will
continue to honour the process and act accordingly.
Mariam
B. Secka
The
Deputy Secretary General and Deputy Party Leader
