By: Sulayman Waan
Lamin Jatta, the former United Democratic Party’s chairman for the West Coast Region has clearly stated that his team would not handover the UDP Regional Bureau to the incoming regional committee until he gets directive from the Party’s National Committee.
He then said the due processes were not followed in the recent congress.
Jatta made the remarks during a press conference held at Kombo Center Brikama on Friday 15th February regarding the ongoing political crisis of the Regional Bureau between the town camps.
“I was not in the congress and if there was election or not I am not aware of anything about the congress. I was denied to enter in the congress venue,” he told Journalists.
He added that: As long as I don’t know anything about the congress therefore the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) supposed to inform me about the end result of the congress. If not that I would not know because I was not there and therefore, I would not know anything in the congress.”
According to him, he was denied to enter at the regional congress as well as the recent national congress, noting that he wanted to have a position at the party’s national executive during the last UDP congress as he wanted to take the Lang Marong’s position but he was not allowed to enter the congress venue.
He then said that the reason why he did not handover power is due to the fact that the congress was not done in due process, “The UDP’s executive committee should have commended us because we contributed significantly to the Presidential victory in 2016 and we made the party to have seven MPs and twelve councilors in the region,” he stated.
What we achieved, no other regional committee does that for the party; therefore, if they are to take the bureau from us they should do that honorably and respectfully, he added.
Jatta reveals that dozens of people attended the congress but he only recognized Ramata Demba and Yusupha Cham as UDP militants but all the rest just defected from APRC in 2016 and he will not give those people his positions.
However, he further told journalists that he did not refuse to handover power but there is something that needs to be done, noting that if the due process of transferring responsibility within the two camps is done amicably, then the political standoff will end but without that the crisis will continue unabated.
When asked, he is alleged of using the bureau to promote President Barrow’s agenda. The strong man replied that he will continue promoting the Barrow’s agenda because he [Barrow] is from UDP. He added that he will continue this agenda until President Barrow officially announces his withdrawal from UDP.
Reacting on speculation that he refused to hand over the office because he has kept lots of money, he said that he did not keep even a penny in the bureau but noting that he will only hand over power when the due process is done because he is not answerable to the incoming but the NEC.