The
United Democratic Party’s (UDP) National Assembly candidate for the Tallinding constituency, Fatoumatta
Jawara, has said if she is eventually elected to the National Assembly,
together with like-minded colleagues, she would not allow laws that would
suffocate Gambians.
She
made this remark on Saturday, while speaking at a campaign rally held at
Tallinding Farokono.
Mrs
Jawara was among three women arrested, detained, tried and convicted for taking
part in “an unauthorised protest” with the late Solo Sandeng, UDP’s former
youth mobiliser, and others at the Mansakonko High Court during the former
regime.
She
was released on bail together with her co-convicts when President Barrow was
elected during the December 1st Presidential election, and eventually pardoned
by the President.
The
UDP candidate said they would not be parliamentarians that would be there only
to support the president.
“It
is true that we have the right to support our party, but we will not allow laws
that will suffocate our people and we will not promise any president that we
will pass such laws for you,” she declared.
“Any
president who comes to enslave people of this country: what will happen to that
president will be more than what happened to the president of the former
regime.”
According
to her, the National Assembly election is very important because it enables the
electorates to elect someone who would be their voice.
“It
is very important that when one is electing such a person, one should find out
if that person can really represent them,” Mrs Jawara said, adding that Gambia
has gone past the stage of the politics of fooling people.
The
people of Tallinding should know that the way UDP works is according to the
party’s constitution, and that is by telling each other the truth during
meetings in chambers.
On
her campaign promises, the UDP candidate said her constituency laments bad
roads, but if she is elected into the National Assembly, Tallinding would talk
about other issues, but not bad roads.
She
said even the river between Tallinding and Banjul would be bridged so that
commuters in Tallinding can use it to go to Banjul, and be free from struggling
for vehicles to go to Banjul.
The
UDP candidate said if the UDP is in the National Assembly, any funds to the
Gambia government would not stop at the development of Tallinding alone.
“We
will see to it that all the parliamentarians are helped to take development to
their constituencies, because development should be brought back to the
people,” she said.
Other
speakers and defectors from the APRC declared support for Mrs Jawara and the
UDP party.
The
youth leaders in Tallinding also voiced their support for her, and vowed to
campaign and vote for her.