In the wake of Shyngle Nyassi being
                    refused passport, Darboe says it is
                                  ridiculous

                 The UDP leader, Ousainou Darboe has deplored the refusal by
the
                 immigration Department to issue a passport to the UDP youth
leader,
                 Shyngle Nyassi. 'It is ridiculous for them to ask him
(Shyngle) to
                 appeal to President Jammeh for a passport.

                 After all, section 25 of the constitution in sub-section
two and three
                 guarantees every person freedom of movement throughout The
                 Gambia and to leave The Gambia. Therefore, Shyngle Nyassi
must be
                 entitled to a passport for him to be able to do such,' he
remarked.

                 On the alleged death threats being made against the UDP
leadership,
                 Darboe confirmed that it is true and that he has reported
it to the
                 police 'but I don't know whether they have done anything
about it
                 which may be unknown to me. However, I have my personal
                 body-guards to check my movements, and monitor what time I
get
                 home and not expose myself to any undue risk.'

                 Darboe also revealed that they (the people making the
threats) are
                 targeting himself, Juwara and Shyngle Nyassi only 'but they
forgot
                 that we have Yahya Jallow, Sam Sillah, Femi Peters and a
host of
                 well-committed people in the party'. He also noted that
'they are
                 desperate.

                 They see their political fortunes declining by the day and
they think
                 this is the best way to stop the UDP'. Darboe also said
these threats
                 will not stop him from going to any part of the country and
to
                 propagate the ideas and ideals for which the UDP stands
for. Those
                 threats, Darboe emphasised, will encourage his supporters
to
                 sharpen their efforts in getting rid of the regime.

                 'When I accepted the leadership of the party, I prepared
myself and
                 my family for the worse in the political situation in which
we are
                 operating,' he stressed. He also said that The Gambia is
experiencing
                 'pseudo democracy'.

                 He said that the government only paid lip service to the
constitution
                 and that the rule of law was being observed only in speech
and not
                 in action.
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