December 2018 is here and no doubt it is time for serious politicking as political parties go to congress. So much has happened and so much has been said.

All the Parties go to the drawing board to heal their wounds, re-arm and get ready to fight it out. Will it be 2019 or 2021? Some have challenged the Executive with legal action if he calls for early election, citing that the constitution grants the President Five years in office.

Others have also threatened court action if the President does not honour the Coalition Agreement of 2016 whose manifesto lies sacredly secured at the “Elections Safe Deposit Box”. Ha ha ha! Strange times lie ahead.

The congresses will be attended by a mix of delegates who represent the party membership. It is the most significant event for political parties and is the highest decision-making body of the organization, tasked with electing or nominating the party’s leaders or leadership bodies, deciding party policy, and setting the party’s platform and agendas.

The first to kick start the process was the UDP who converged at the Paradise suites hotel over the weekend. Did we hear “don’t call me VP but Party Leader?”

Is the writing on the wall now emboldened that there is a crisis between the Chief Executive officer and the Party he hailed from? Is there an all-out war against “persons and individuals” irrespective of the individual’s status in life and are bent on dividing his party as we now understand from the UDP hierarchy.

The UDP caucus saw absentees of some notable members depicted to be on the ‘other side’. One statement we will want to re-echo coming from the UDP Boss and we quote “I want people to know that the only UDP we have here is the UDP of 1996. There is no UDP 2016. There is only one UDP; that is UDP 1996.

There is no UDP 2016. It was because of UDP 1996, in concert with other political actors: Aja Fatoumatta Jallow, Honourable OJ, Majanko Samusa, Alhagie Mai Fatty, and the host of others; Hamat Bah; It is UDP 1996, that forged an alliance with them and booted out the dictatorship in 2016. So, there is no UDP 2016,” .

In as much as we view the 2018 congresses with much seriousness, I have my eye fixed on my crystal ball to the year 2020. The Party congresses of that year will change the face of the Gambia for a very long time. Yes 2020 (because I honestly don’t see President Barrow calling for early elections in 2019)