By Adama Makasuba
Omar Ceesay national chairman for Gambia Democratic Congress has dismissed the allegation made by his colleagues against leader of the GDC party Mama Kandeh, whom one of them called dictator.
Honorable Salif Jawo, National Assembly member for Joakdu constituency, has made a grave accusation against the leader of opposition Gambia Democratic Congress Mamma Kandeh of being a dictator in his party.
In respond to Honorable Salif Jawo, the Niamina East lawmaker said: “considering the GDC as an institution, I can tell you that there is not even once the party leader (Mama Kandeh) asking (instructing) Honourable member or any other executive member of what they must do. I can confirm to you that sometimes we have decisions that are taken by the party which the GDC party leader is not aware of.
“This is normally carried out by the GDC executive members in the absence of the Party leader and they are witness to this.”
According to him, the expelled NAMs appeared in so many meetings where a decision was taken by the central executive and the GDC party is not in attendance and obviously, that decision will be carried out and implemented.
“So, if they are saying that the GDC party leader is a dictator or is directing or is influencing the decision that they have to undertake within the Assembly or outside the Assembly, I am not taking that as something serious, it is a mere allegation.
“These people are expelled from the GDC because they are not attending any of their events to show solidarity but they always attend president Barrow and his NPP events to show solidarity with the Gambian President,” he said.
He said that’s why the central committee of the GDC decided to expelled these two NAMs from their party.
However, Momodou MC Cham Jnr, national youth president for Gambia Democratic Congress, also alluded to the facts while reiterated that “They violated the laws of the party by campaigning against the party, undermining the party. That’s why we expelled them from GDC,” he said.
According to him “we conditioned them that anyone in the party should be able to contribute to the party, especially someone who is receiving more than D40,000 per month.”
Meanwhile the two expelled lawmakers – Honourable Salif Jawo and Honourable Kebba Jallow said their problem with their former boss Mamma Kandeh started when supported a bill that exempt sitting national assembly members from losing their seats after dismissal by their parties.
“And the second was the draft constitution we also against because of a national interest. There were so many hiding things in that draft. We didn’t support it and he [Mamma Kandeh] wanted us to support that bill and then we said over our dead bodies we are not going to do it,” Jokadu NAM Honorbale Salif Jawo said.
“Today we are the supporters of President Adama Barrow and his agenda 100% we are going to support him [President Adama Barrow] and he [Mamma Kandeh] cannot do anything [about] that. And what I want to tell him [ Mamma Kandeh] [is] that this is a big blow to [for] his party because he brought five seats to this parliament and now, he is left with only two, three have gone so that is a disaster to [for] his party,” he added.