The NADD leadership impasse has been finally laid to rest, as Halifa Sallah, of the opposition PDOIS, was today confirmed as the coalition's flag bearer, the Freedom Newspaper can authoritatively reveal. Latest reports from Banjul say the prominent and vocal politician was officially named by his colleagues to lead NADD in the country’s 2006 polls. Halifa, a charismatic politician is been described in many quarters as a sellable candidate who could posed as a threat to incumbent President Yahya Jammeh... freedomnewspaper
Which begs the question: what does this development do to the dynamics of opposition politics in the Gambia? All indications are the UDP/NRP alliance is in full campaign swing as reported by the point in this piece:
Addressing a political rally recently organised by the UDP/NRP alliance, Mr Hamat Bah of the National Reconciliation Party has said that the money spent by President Jammeh on buying luxurious cars should have been better spent on the improvement of health care delivery system. He added that the money could also be better spent on combating illiteracy, malaria, poverty as well as reducing unemployment among youths. The money, he went on, could help tremendously in buying the farmers’ nuts... the point
The confusing aspect to all this drama is that the UDP and NRP are supposedly members of the NADD alliance if the last press release from NADD is anything to go by. It read in part thus:
The Executive Committee of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development on Sunday 26 February 2006 met to discuss the status of NADD in
relation to two parties, that is, UDP and NRP and the selection of a flag bearer. The two parties indicated that they are still members of NADD.
I suspect the UDP/NRP people are interpreting NADD as an alliance as opposed to a party which it evolved into after the supreme court decision. The devil in essence is in the detail.
However, with the selection of Halifa as flag bearer, the issue of leadership becomes redundant and a non issue in my opinion. If the UDP and NRP are part of the NADD alliance, and that alliance chose Halifa as the flagbearer, then we have a unified and solitary challenger to Yahya. Unless my naivete is out of this world, I am of the opinion that there is a united opposition once again with Halifa Sallah as its candidate for the october 2006 presidential election. No?
2 Comments:
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- Cynthia said...
March 1, 2006 at 6:33 PMOne would hope this is true. But, then why did the UDP/NRP pull this stunt...- Anonymous said...
May 9, 2007 at 8:16 AMWHERE IN THE WORLD DID POLITICIANS EVER CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE FOR THE BETTER?CERTAINLY NOT IN AFRICA OR ANY DEVELOPING COUNTRY FOR THAT MATTER.HALIFA SALLAH HAS BEEN IN POLITICS SINCE BEFORE CHRIST,WHAT MAKES PEOPLE LIKE YOU THINK THAT SUCH OPPURTUNIST WILL SUDDENLY CHANGE PEOPLES LIVES FOR THE BETTER.AS THE SMALLEST AND PROBABLY THE LEAST POPULATED NATION IN AFRICA,DID GAMBIANS EVER ASK THE QUESTION OF WHETHER CAREER POLITICIANS ARE NEEDED IN RUNNING THE COUNTRY.PLEASE DON'T TELL ME OF THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS,BECAUSE IT DRIVES ME BUNKERS.ANYONE FOR AFRICAN NATIONALISM?
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