Q. Yes, you accuse PDOIS, particularly Halifa Sallah, of collaborating
with anti-democratic forces during the transition, what are the bases
of your accusation?
Lamin: These are questions that come to mind when you analyse the role
that PDOIS played during the transition and continues to play. In the
first instance, after the coup d’etat, they were offered ministerial
positions by the junta which they declined to accept and the fact that
during the transition, they were the only political party free to
indulge in politics with the tacit endorsement of the junta, tantamount
to aiding and abetting the coup. Political ban was not lifted when the
Constitution was put to a referendum and they were the only people
allowed to campaign. They distributed cassettes and travelled across
the country canvassing for the Constitution, which most Gambians felt,
were tailor-made to suit Yahya Jammeh. Our suspicions became confirmed
when the three main political parties, both in government and
opposition, where banned and they (PDOIS) were left out.
Q. Accusations and counter-accusations have been traded between the UDP
and APRC for long. Now, Halifa Sallah has challenged you and the UDP
leadership to a public debate, I think for the second time, will you
accept the challenge?
Lamin: Certainly, we will take up the challenge if it is going to be
over the radio and television.
Q. Why are you insistent on broadcast over radio and television?
Lamin: Because that will give it national coverage and Gambian people
will judge for themselves the role they have played or failed to play
during the transition. You see, PDOIS is a very small party. They only
polled 2.8 percent of the votes during the last elections. Under the
best of systems, any party those polls less than 5 percent of the votes
cast will not be allowed to register as a political party.
From the look of things, PDOIS looks like a club lacking in mass
following. If they can deny that their own sponsored-candidates in the
last general elections were not members of their party, then they
deserved to be called a club.
They continue to deny that they are a vanguard party trying to operate
within a mass party system and that they subscribe to a bankrupt
ideology, which has been, discredited worldwide.
Q. What is that ‘bankrupt ideology’?
Lamin: Their own brand of socialism. That is why they have been
rejected by the Gambian people time and time again. That level of
frustration can be seen in the way Halifa Sallah , whose bid for
parliament for the third time has been unsuccessful despite the fact
that he claims to be The Gambia’s foremost political intellectual
(talks).
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