The fallout begins and has extended to the U.S.A.

Beran


The Split As Waa Juwara Gets Kicked Out of UDP



The Daily Observer (Banjul)

August 26, 2002
Posted to the web August 26, 2002

Saloum Sheriff Janko And Jt Brown


The United Democratic Party (UDP) central committee, the country's main
opposition, after intense haranguing over what should be done with the
party's propaganda secretary, Lamin Waa Juwara, following a major split
regarding leadership of the party and following Mr Juwara's repeated calls
for the resignation of the party leader, Mr Ousainou Darboe, last Friday
expelled Mr Juwara from the party at an important meeting held at their
Bureau in Banjul.

According to reports, the expulsion of Mr Juwara from the party was done in
accordance with the UDP's guiding principles enshrined in the party's
constitution.

Sources added that during the meeting, 95 per cent of the delegates from all
over the country proposed Juwara's immediate expulsion whilst the party
leader himself, Ousainou Darboe and a few members, proposed his suspension.

The issue was later put to a vote following a heated debate where Darboe and
five others voted only for Juwara's suspension with the rest of the
committee voting for his expulsion.

The sources further said that although the embattled Waa Juwara himself was
not present at the meeting, UDP executive members were quick to describe
their actions as justified as they claimed Mr Juwara had absented himself
for three consecutive executive meetings. He was said to have been invited
to explain his actions to the party earlier which he failed to do.

Following his recent return from the United States, Mr Juwara had become
critical of the party leadership who he accused of inefficiency and of
diverting party funds for personal use, an allegation Mr Darboe strongly
denied.

Meanwhile, some party militants in the youth wing of the UDP condemned the
expulsion of Mr Juwara who they described as a "seasoned politician" who had
played a crucial role in the country's political development. "We cannot
abandon Juwara just like that today after all he has done for the UDP.
Whatever the case may be, he has suffered immensely for the party.

Just imagine arrests, detention and torture were his lot during the crucial
days of the UDP and the present executive should be grateful about that,"
reasoned one of the executive members.

In a related development, the Daily Observer has learnt that Mr Juwara will
form a new party (his own) very soon.

Below is the full text of a press release from the UDP executive committee
on Waa's expulsion: The Central Committee of the United Democratic Party
(UDP) met on Thursday 22nd August 2002, at the party secretariat following
the spate of persistent attacks ad diatribe levelled against the Party and
its leadership by Mr Lamin Waa Juwara, National Organising Secretary of the
Party.

The Central Committee expressed serious concern over the failure of Mr
Juwara to attend this very important gathering, comprising of Area and
Constituency Chairmen, Female and Youth wings, constituency - sponsored
candidates, and national Executive members, to formally present any matter
concerning any aspect of the party, for discussion. In this case, the
Central Committee of the party is the best forum to propose removals,
investigations or any disciplinary action resulting from improper behaviour
or conduct of any Executive member including the secretary general of the
party.

The failure of Mr Juwara to attend the scheduled meeting, to which, like all
members of the Committee, he was invited as National Organising Secretary,
and raise issues and matters of serious concern to him about the welfare of
the party, and the way and manner the affairs of the Party are being
administered, raises questions about his seriousness. Internal party affairs
should be discussed internally within the various organs of the party i.e
the national executive, the central committee, or the national congress. The
fact that Mr Juwara decided to talk to the press rather than to members of
the various organs of the party raises suspicions of his motives for a
different agenda.

Having considered that Mr Juwara, being the architect who spearheaded the
party boycott of the National Assembly and Local Government elections,
ostensibly based on his investigations and findings as National Organising
Secretary, about the registration of aliens and the manipulations of the
Independent Electoral Commission, the Central Committee felt disappointed
that Mr Juwara should now unashamedly attribute the boycott to "lack of
funds" especially when he knew that the party had paid all the deposits for
the candidates. Some candidates were, as a matter of fact, prepared to pay
their own deposits as independents. It is a known fact that some parties
require their candidates to pay their own deposits. Lack of funds was
therefore not the issue at all. Mr Juwara as the party's officer-in-charge
of political affairs, convinced the executive to boycott the elections.

If Mr Juwara is serious about the so called revelations and assertions that
he made about the boycott, he should show his true colour by endorsing the
outcome of the presidential elections and stop attacking the UDP leadership
for congratulating Jammeh.

The Central Committee regards these two contradictory views held by Mr
Juwara as dishonest and devoid of integrity and concluded after lengthy
discussions, that the National Organising Secretary has a hidden agenda to
destroy the Party and all it stands for locally and internationally. He has
betrayed the trust and confidence of the entire party. In accordance with
the Constitution therefore, the Central Committee, made the following
decisions: 1. That Mr Lamin Waa Juwara be expelled from the United
Democratic Party with immediate effect; 2. That the National Executive be
given the mandate to fill the post of national Organising Secretary, made
vacant by the expulsion of Lamin Waa Juwara; 3. That Mr Femi Peters,
Campaign Manager, will handle the responsibilities attached to the post of
National Organising Secretary until a substantive officer is appointed by
the National Executive Committee.

The Central Committee renewed its trust and confidence in the secretary
general and party leader of the UDP, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and pledged its
total commitment to the achievement, under his leadership, of ideals and
objectives of the party for a better and more prosperous Gambia, as set out
in the Party Constitution and Manifesto.

Finally, the Central Committee called on all party militants and
sympathisers to stand firm behind the party leader and not to be detracted
from the present woes the country is experiencing, by canker worms crawling
from within the party woodwork.

Long live the United Democratic Party!

Long live The Gambia!

Party Headquarters UDP Banjul, The Gambia

United Democratic Party 23rd August 2002





Beran S. Jeng


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