Happy New Year as the clock tick tocks.
What a year it will be from a political perspective. Trouble at the UDP over new members believed to be APRC militants gaining seats at the Executive while the old guards say ’no’ to this intrusion but the decision stands and there is bitterness in the UDP camp on the issue.
The UDP takes seriously the wound inflicted upon it when President Barrow fired its spokesperson from the OIC Secretariat and the bad blood flows unabated. The PPP held its congress as 2018 comes to an end with some disturbing news about inconsistencies and irregularities in the balloting and voting process which are said to have undermined the credibility of the election process and there were calls for an outright rejection of the results from the PPP 30th December, 2018 election. The National Reconcilliation Party once throwing its weight behind the UDP has made a U-Turn and has headed to State House. Strange days this year. And guess what at State House itself President Barrow is steadily absorbing APRC, UDP, NCP, BYM and the rest into what may eventually be the Party of the Year in the making. Yet what are the voters of the New Gambia thinking about all of this? Is it as a critic said “we fought and win the fight but loose the battle. Convincingly, we defeated Yaya but his enablers still maintain power and influence why?” It is no more a rumour about the subtle activities of Barrow’s aides to canvass support for Barrow Youth movement among APRC members and opinion leaders. In France Macron’s rise to power began with a youth movement.
President Barrow’s coalition partners continue to urge him to honour his promise and stand aside after 3 years for that was what was agreed and thereby preserve his dignity if not………….