Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, secretary general and party leader of the United Democratic Party, has reassured the nation in his Independence speech of emerging victorious in December presidential elections.
“This year, the United Democratic Party will also commemorate its 25th Anniversary. It is a year in which we anticipate that come 4th December 2021, victory will be ours Insha Allah. Today, I want to remind us all of the struggle our fathers and forefathers waged for us to be where we are today; to remind us of the strong message that is emboldened in our National Anthem. A message that should remind each and every one of us in our every waking moment what The Gambia our Homeland is and should mean to us. The words, “That all may live in unity, freedom and peace each day.” The words, “let justice guide our actions towards our common good.” The words “and join our diverse people to prove man’s brotherhood”. The words, “we pledge our firm allegiance, our promise we renew,” should always be at the back of our minds that This Gambia our homeland is our identity and our birth right,” he said.
“My message to you all today is a message of renewed hope; a message of unity; a message of peace; a message of oneness and togetherness and a message of diversity and patriotism above all else. Fellow Gambians, each day we hear the news of our sisters and daughters losing their lives while giving life. Each day we hear of our sons and daughters dying in foreign lands, being deported back home unceremoniously or drowning because they dared to cross the Mediterranean in search of “greener pastures”. Each day we hear the cries of our mothers, our wives and our sisters about the high cost of living and the inability to feed their children and; each day we see our sons and daughters cursing each other, swearing at each other, discriminating against each other on tribal and religious lines. Never in the history of The Gambia, our homeland, have we endured such difficulty as in the past few years. Ours was a close-knit society of tolerance; a society of “sutura”; and a society of social cohesion. Some of us have been privileged to have a taste of what that social cohesion and social inclusiveness was and how it felt. Unfortunately, our children and grandchildren have not been fortunate enough to enjoy that beauty amongst us,” he added.
The former vice president added: “I call upon all of us who knew what it felt like to share and show those who were not lucky to witness that era what it feels like to belong; to be one; to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers; our neighbour’s keeper and to live in harmony. It is unfortunate that those born during the late 1980’s to date have not witnessed this beauty. It is unfortunate that the regime that brought in the military junta broke the chains of ethnic and religious tolerance and instilled hatred and contempt amongst us. It even fostered regional rivalry in the country all in an effort to “divide and conquer” us politically.”
“We are Gambians first and we must remember that. I promise and commit that a UDP government will bring back that sense of patriotism and oneness in our society. I promise that there will be zero tolerance of tribal, ethnic and religious division or any regionalism. There is no Mandinka Gambia; there is no Fula Gambia; there is no Wollof Gambia; there is no Jolla Gambia e.t.c.; There is no Kombo Gambia; There is no Badibu Gambia; there is no Foni Gambia e.t.c.; There is no Muslim Gambia; there is no Christian Gambia or Ahmadiyya Gambia,” he continued
