Lawyer Ousainou Darboe the newly elected secretary general of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in his frank and well calculated speech during party’s congress at Buffer Zone recently stated that no elected National Assembly Member (NAM), Mayor/ess neither Chairman cannot hold UDP to ransom.
Darboe gave strong advised to the sitting UDP National Assembly Members (NAMs), Area Councilor Chairmen and Municipality Mayor/ess to be careful in whatever they are doing or they are about do.
“As NAMs you should not allow yourself to lose your integrity based on material gains and you must be above suspicion that would give you bad name because your integrity matters a lot that is why you are called “Honorable Members,” UDP secretary general advised militants.
He urged UDP NAMs, Mayor/ess, Area Council Chairmen, Councilors to disassociate themselves from things that would give bad name to them as country’s law makers while reminding those (NAMs) that their ticket to national assembly was a UDP ticket.
He reminded them that there was a time in this country UDP has no say in the country, neither to have UDP Mayor nor Chairman adding that if any Chairman thinks that you can hold UDP to ransom you are fooling yourself.
UDP survive for 22-years without any single Area Council Chairman in any of the Area Councils in the country thus UDP can do away with any Area Council Chairman who does anything contrary to UDP’s agenda.
According to Darboe, This also applies to all UDP elected members whether you are a Councilor or NAMs noting that from 2001 to 2006 UDP did not have any sitting NAM at the national assembly of The Gambia.
UDP No. 1 man informed militants that in any democratic country like The Gambia, people should not have suspicious mine against their representatives that would give bad name to them.
He said it is because of UDP’s ideas and agendas they were elected as National Assembly Members nothing else adding that whatever they are to do should be in line with UDP’s agendas.
Darboe advised his NAMs, Mayor /ess, Chairmen and Councilors not to involve themselves into something that would undermine the rule of law in the country and that of their integrity.
UDP leader took the memories of his party militants from 2011 to 2016, the party has no sitting NAM at the national assembly noting that despite all that, UDP fought hard to remove dictator from power adding that any NAM who think that he/she is an “Honorable Member” so he/she cannot lose his/her possible they are deceiving themselves.
If you misbehave he went on, UDP will not haste to take action against any NAM, Councilor or Mayor/ess and from now on it will not be usual because UDP will no more be compromise by any member of the national assembly.
“UDP will not be held hostel by any elected NAM and if you feel that you cannot go along with UDP you are free to tender your resignation letter so that we can go for by-election whereby UDP will prove to you whom you are,” Darboe said.
On Barrow Youth Movement
Meanwhile, UDP leader called on his party militants to disown Barrow Youth Movement for National Development adding that his party will not and will never recognize any Movement pretending to be emanated from the UDP. There is only one Youth Wing formed in 1996.
“It is a deliberate attempt to sow the seeds of discord within UDP circle and at UDP, we only recognize UDP Youth Wing, apart from that UDP does not recognize any other Youth Wing,” Darboe informed party militants.
According to Darboe, real UDP militants are in the UDP Youth Wing stressing that there is nothing like UDP 2016 thus arguing that those politicians who are promoting the agenda of the UDP 2016 are not UDP militants but instead are trying to bring division within UDP.
“Don’t discuss with anybody about UDP 2016 because UDP has only one UDP i.e UDP 1996 and you should also disregard any statement not coming from him and his newly elected Executive members,” Darboe concluded.