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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Apr 2010 : 11:55:44
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Culled from JollofNews
Lawyer Darboe, leader of Gambia’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has for the first time openly expressed regret over his party’s decision to boycott the 2002 National Assembly elections. Darboe told Africa News that although assuming full responsibility for what turned out to be a politically catastrophic decision of his party, he was misled into taking the decision.
In an exclusive interview with the Netherlands based news website, Darboe who admitted venturing into Gambia’s political landscape on circumstantial reasons said, however, that he did not at all regret going to it. But, he added, the boycott of the 2002 national assembly elections was a decision taken by his party and that he accepted full responsibilities for it.
The 2002 National Assembly boycott decision by the UDP saw 33 ruling APRC-sponsored candidates ran unopposed, out of 48, and they won 12 of the 15 seats in which they had had opposition. The APRC got 12 more seats than in the previous elections. Eventually, the opposition plunged into a state of near disorder, with its supporters divided as to the rationale behind the decision to boycott the elections.
Darboe told Africa News that ‘‘I regret having taken that decision. I was misled by some people I thought shared the same vision with me, people I thought that shared the same objectives with me. But then I was misled into taken that decision and I say that it is my full responsibility because the fault ends at me.’’The lawyer turned politician added that ‘‘with hindsight it shouldn’t have been taken at all.’’
Mr Darboe denied clinging to power at the helm of the UDP, saying that he did not form the party, and that ‘‘I was elected to lead the party. Those who are hungry for power are the ones who have formed parties and have chosen themselves to lead those parties.’’
The UDP leader threw a challenge on ‘‘anybody who wishes to take up the leadership of the United Democratic Party; they can very well do so. I’m not in any way expressing regret but obviously, I know that the leadership of the United Democratic Party has resulted in a lot negative things for me. I mean financially, otherwise, I know what my status was before 1992 and now I know what my status is, so anyone who wants to take over the mantle at the United Democratic Party he is welcomed to do so.’’
According to Lawyer Darboe, he felt fortunate to have been called to lead Gambians at a period when there was absolute dictatorship in the country, when there was brutality at its highest.
‘‘For the Gambian people to have confidence in me and ask me to lead them, that for me is the greatest achievement in my life and I’ve not regretted at all,’’ Darboe said, adding, ‘‘It is a call to service and I’m proud that I responded, and I’m keeping the torch alive.’’
Imperialism in Gambia
Describing the political situation in the country as volatile and uncertain, Mr Darboe went ballistic on some unnamed people around President Yahya Jammeh, whom he described as sycophants.
‘‘Of course the Jammeh regime is being run by sycophants who really do not genuinely support his party, those are the ones who are screaming all over and of course the opposition we’ve been gradually muscled,’’ he said.
He added that the Gambian people consider themselves as being in imperialism, but that ‘‘we are facing them very squarely and that would not make us retreat at all.’’
Asked about on going arrest and detention of government officials, the Gambian opposition leader said it all goes to show that Gambians have lost control. As such, he said, there is no regard for the rule of law and that the dictatorship in the country would now behave in anyway it likes.
‘‘Arrest people; detain them without subjecting them to due process and this is what has been going on in this country for the past 10 to 15 years,’’ he said.
Darboe however indicated that this is what the United Democratic Party and other opposition parties are putting up a fight against. ‘‘This is what we are fighting against and we want to make sure that Gambians would gain their lost freedom; we want to make sure that the Gambians are satisfied with their rights guaranteed under the constitution without hindrance from anybody.’’
Personality cult and self mystification
Mr Darboe bluntly dismissed Jammeh’s claim of HIV/AIDS cure, saying that he had from the beginning challenged them ‘‘to tell us what chronic vaccines he was using in his so called cure. I do not believe it, I think it is one of those things he tries to create to mystify himself and nothing more.’’ Darboe expressed regret that Jammeh is being believed by people who call themselves professional doctors, describing the situation as ‘‘unfortunate
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 02 Apr 2010 12:01:44 |
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