NCP Press Conference
On Wednesday 15th August 2001, the NCP called a press conference at the
residence of SM Dibba in Banjul. S.M. Dibba started by saying that the
Executive of the NCP deemed it absolutely necessary to meet the press to
clear the air on certain things that are being said about him and the
party. He further said the NCP had been in a limbo for the past 7 years
because the barring of political activities came into effect on the 22nd
July 1994.
He then went on to submit that himself and the party had been quiet all
this time because they do not want to bring civil strife in the Gambia as
it is just a tiny country with  a population of just a little over 1
million; that as a political organisation that had never been their desire.
He said we have all seen the cripples of civil strifes in our sub-region;
that as at the time of the coup, the NCP had known the military was very
much hungry for power; that if the NCP had confronted the military at that
time it might have led to  instability in the country.
That the Gambia is more important than the leadership of the NCP; that but
some people thought that the leadership of the NCP was intimidated just as
cowards. He said this is not so; that it is because they do not want to
plunge this country into civil strive; that for them they very much had the
country at heart.
That after the lifting of the ban they had very much welcomed the
un-banning of the GPP, NCP and the PPP on the 22nd July 2001; That he then
had a meeting with representatives of other political parties as to what
strategy they would take to face the APRC government in the coming
election. That it had then come to light that the GPP was not going to
reactivate it self before the election; that they were not going to contest
the presidential and National Assembly elections; that in any case it is
very clear going by the 1997 constitution that the leader of the GPP Assan
Musa Camara is quite over the age limit of 65 years for a presidential
candidate; that the PPP said they were going to register but that they are
not going to contest the presidential but that they are going to
participate in the National Assembly elections; that as the leader of the
NCP, he had made it clear to them that he was interested to contest for the
presidential seat and the National Assembly elections.
That the NCP was in existence for the past 25 years; that it was founded in
1975 and that he was also one of the founding members of the PPP in 1959;
that among the few who were the founding members of the PPP were him self,
Dawda Jawara, the late Jambo Bojang and Sanjally Bojang and the late Famara
Wassa Touray of Gunjur.
That of course it is common knowledge that he had served as vice president,
minister of so many ministries and an ambassador of the Gambia in the EU.
That also coming back he held the position of minister of economic planning
and industrial development. That he then broke the relationship with the
PPP and formed the NCP.
That since then the NCP was very steadfast up to the 1994 coup. That after
the unbanning of the NCP, GPP and PPP, they all agreed at a meeting that
the idea of having a coalition of all opposition parties to have a single
presidential candidate against the APRC, was very good. That all of them
supported the idea.
This was why they had a meeting at the YMCA in Kanifing on Monday 13th
August 2001. That unfortunately the PDOIS were not present because they
were not formally invited. That the NRP was not also there because their
leader was out of the country. That present at the meeting were the NCP,
PPP and the PDP; that Assan Musa was unanimously selected as the chairman.
That the purpose of the meeting was to select a candidate for the coalition
in the fourth coming elections. That as he had said that since the GPP said
that they were not going to contest the presidential elections because of
the old age of the leader and the PPP also said so because of the fact that
their leader was out of the country and that it would be hard for them to
have another presidential candidate; that he had made it clear to them at a
meeting but as he said before that they all agreed to have an inter-party
consultation before so as to agree on a single coalition presidential
candidate. That on the 13th August when they met at YMCA they all accepted
that Assan Musa bet the chairman and not a representative of the GPP as he
had informed them earlier that he was not going to reactivate the GPP; that
the NCP, PPP and PDP were the parties present. That OJ and his friends of
the PPP suggested Ousainou Darboe as the coalition candidate and Badara
Sidibeh suggested him (S.M. Dibba). That there was a stale mate as the PDP
did not take side with any party.
That the PPP suggested that they would want to have an in-house meeting
with the UDP. That since that was what they decided excluding them, they
from the NCP decided to leave; that before they left he had asked Assan
Musa that they must not hold a press conference without them; that Assan
had promised strongly that they will not do so that the next day he saw in
the Observer that SM Dibba and the NCP delegates opted out of the coalition
meeting. That it was incorrect to give that impression to the press; that
all he knows was that they were unable to agree on a candidate since OJ
suggested Darboe and some one suggested S.M. Dibba. That the PDP’s leader
abstained and Assan Musa was not a party representative but chairman. That
it is better for the press to know that well before the YMCA inter-party
meeting on 13th August, the UDP had sent  colanuts all over the country
telling the Nation that Ousainou Darboe had already been selected as the
coalition president. That they had gone to the meeting with a preset mind
that Ousainou Darboe would have to be the presidential candidate or no body
else.
That they had not registered the NCP because they were waiting for the
inter-party meeting but since there is no agreement on the coalition, they
would get the NCP registered and make their stand clear to the nation. That
if any body knows the history of political parties in the Gambia the NCP
was the longest serving opposition party before the 1994 coup; that they
have been silent because they are not position seekers; that they are not
hungry for power. That they have respected the law when they were banned
and never wanted to create any instability in the  country. That the
members of the NCP had joined the UDP and voted for them in the 1996
elections and even in the last bye elections, the people of Central Baddibu
voted in a UDP candidate, where he himself was contesting. That the people
of Central Baddibu would ever be loyal to the NCP. He questioned where is
the UDP has a political base? He said not in Nianis and not any where. That
the NCP has an edge over the UDP; that it would be easier for the NCP to
dislodge the APRC than the UDP through the ballot.
He further  questioned why the PPP is so keen to have the leader of UDP to
lead the coalition? He again said we all know what transpired in this
country. He repeated the question and asked why  Ousainou Darboe got up at
the meeting to say that he is not a front of the PPP. That no body had said
in that meeting that he is a front of the PPP. That he was the one who
said: Ousainou Darboe is not a front of the PPP. That his question was only
why the PPP was so keen in having Ousainou Darboe as leader of the
coalition.  To say that the UDP has been struggling for the past 7 years,
Mr. Dibba said,  there is no party in this country that has struggled more
than the NCP.
S.M. Dibba then went on to the history of the aftermath of the 1981 coup.
He said  that he was arrested and incascerated for 11 months, charged with
treason, treasonable felony and misprison treason. That 55 witnesses
testified against him but in the end he was acquitted and discharge. That
not less than 500 people were arrested and detained; that most of them were
NCP members. That they were detained for months and years; that some of
them even died in detention. That so for any one to say that there is any
party that has struggled more than the NCP cannot be true.
During questioning from the press, SM Dibba agreed that there is the need
for a  second round of meeting among the opposition since some parties like
PDOIS and NRP were not present. He also said that they have gone to the
meeting with two agendas:
1. That should in case the parties were unable to agree on a consensus,
then all parties can contest; that in the event there is the need for a
second round then they can  collate against the APRC. Mr. Dibba agreed that
in the event there is another round of inter-party meeting, it would be
ideal for political parties to send their party’s agenda to each other
before the actual meeting. That the doors of the NCP are open to any body
for future consultation for another coalition.
The members of the NCP Executive who were present at the press conference
were Badara Sidibeh, Alhamdu Konteh, Majanko Samusa and others.

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