By: Nyima Sillah
Halifa Sallah, a retired former Serrekunda lawmaker and one of the architect members of the coalition 2016 during his debate with Madi Jobarteh, a controversial Gambian rights activist, said criticism must be based on truth, good faith, and public interest.
The debate that was aired on Friday on West Coast Radio Coffee Time, with Peter Gomez, was triggered by the statement made by Madi Jobarteh during the state funeral of the late political activist and youth leader of the United Democratic Party, Solo Sandeng last week.
At the funeral, Madi seized the occasion to lambast the 2016 coalition leaders for betraying Mr. Sandeng, the castigation which has caused great contention between Mr. Sallah and Mr. Jobarteh in a debate on West Coast Radio last week.
Responding to the allegation, the renowned politician and one of the architects behind the 2016 coalition in his response to Jobarteh’s allegation during debate explained: “It is my conviction that criticism must be based on truth good faith, and the public interest because I am an elderly state person, people should criticize me but based on truth good faith, and public interest. What Madi said was not true and was not based on good faith and misleading the public is not in the public interest.”
“We should not continue to attack each other or betray anybody. Betrayal is a very serious word, especially on a solemn occasion like an official burial ceremony for Sandeng. He is attacking us that we went there and we were sort of hypocrites but essentially people went there because they felt what happened,” retired former Serrekunda lawmaker Sallah intensely argued.
Mr. Sallah who was also the former spokesperson of the coalition pointed out that Sandeng did not want to be a hero of anybody, and should not have died the way he did since the country is a republic and a republic must protect the citizens.
In a heated debate that attracted public attention the Secretary-General and Leader of PDOIS, Halifa Sallah further argued that the instrument of the state should be used as protection and not as a means of oppression against the citizens.
Madi has made a wide range of allegations against the coalition leaders, ranging from the interference of the constitution, corruption among other things.