As Government Casts Doubt Over His Candidacy, Coalition Leader Lashes Out At
Opponents

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The Independent (Banjul)
August 24, 2001
Posted to the web August 24, 2001
Sheikh Al-Kinky Sanyang
Banjul, the Gambia
The secretary general and party leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP)
and the presidential flag bearer of the coalition of opposition parties
Ousainou Darboe has reacted to claims attributed to the Attorney General and
Secretary of State for Justice Joseph Joof in a local newspaper casting
doubt on his qualification to run as a presidential candidate.
In an interview with journalists on Tuesday, Mr. Darboe said he is more
constitutionally qualified to contest for the presidency than President
Jammeh. He noted that he would have completely disregarded the publication
if it had not come from a lawyer, but what surprised him, he said was that
the chief legal adviser to the government of The Gambia has demonstrated two
things: "It is either his total lack of knowledge and understanding of the
constitution or a deliberate misinformation to the people of The Gambia," he
revealed.

Mr. Darboe who contested the 1996 elections said the constitutional
provisions are very clear. He quoted section 62 (3) as declaring that any
person who while holding a public office has been found guilty by a
commission of enquiry for corruption or abuse of office should be
disqualified from holding office or contesting elections. He further
disclosed that there is absolutely nobody in his sane mind in this country
who would say that for the past ten years he has served in the public
service. He told reporters that he ceased to be a public officer in May of
1980.
The coalition presidential contender challenged that if his opponents want
to look for a disqualifying factor, he said they should look to other
places. He also pointed out that section 90 equally provides that a person
is not qualified to contest as a member of the National Assembly if among
other things he appears before the commission of inquiry and the commission
finds him guilty of abuse of office, corruption or other misdeeds and has
not appealed against it.
The UDP leader said he was completely flabbergasted that the Secretary of
State for Justice could demonstrate his lack of understanding and knowledge
of the constitution.
"I am constitutionally qualified, in fact more qualified than Yahya Jammeh
to contest the elections this October, because he has toppled a
constitutionally elected government in the country, the greatest crime in
the world," he revealed.
He called on all Gambians, supporters of the UDP and the coalition to
disregard what he called 'fictitious nonsense' and rally behind the UDP and
the coalition.
Responding to questions from reporters as to what has motivated this after
contesting the 1996 elections, Mr. Darbo said the move by SOS Joof was
motivated by fear over what they saw during the launching of the
presidential campaign in Brikama, which left the APRC shaken and confused.
"They know they are standing on quicksand which is fast drifting under them,
that's why they started misinforming people like throwing a cat among the
pigeons for them all to fly," he pointed out.
Darboe also believes that the IEC has no authority to disqualify him saying
that the election decree has it that anybody who is dissatisfied with the
nomination of a person, should take the person to court. He also confirmed
that he has not refunded the money he owed to SSFHC because there is a
judicial procedure pending as the chairman of the commission was told that
he wasn't competent to preside over that matter because he has personal
knowledge of the matter, and that is against the rule of natural justice. He
concluded "there are judicial procedures so they don't want to prejudge
anything".





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