By: Kemo Kanyi
Top official of the National Convention Party (NCP) MajankoSamusa has called on the NPP not to leave the NCP on the periphery of the “NPP Grand Alliance” of political parties, lamenting that NCP remains uninformed of developments in the NPP.
NCP entered into an alliance with the NPP for the 2021 presidential election, which saw President Barrow emphatically retained power but the party is unhappy with the way its role in the alliance is being regarded by the parent party [NPP].
“We are just like beggars in this alliance. We are not informed of any development in NPP. It’s an imperative not to leave us in the dark. We are not saying you should spill every secret of the party but it’s like we are beggars in our alliance with the NPP and we are a bona fide party, registered with the IEC,” Majanko bemoaned at the NPP 2nd National Congress held in Jarra Soma last Saturday.
The long-standing politician said NCP should be engaged in certain discussions to share their views and concerns. This, he believed, will foster inclusivity. He stated that when parties are in a coalition, some of the political issues should not be hidden from partners.
Meanwhile, Majanko called on the NPP executive to restore order in the party, adding that NPP militants have found it fashionable to insult their leader and trade insults among themselves. Majanko said some NPP militants are aggressive towards the President, saying: “You are degrading his status among Gambians.’’
Responding to Manjanko’s remarks, the deputy spokesperson of the NPP Seedy Njie does not disregard its allied parties, saying that the President and the national executive of the party recognise the importance of periodic engagements with their partners, perhaps in every three or six months. The raison deter for this, he added, is to ensure all allies see themselves in the government. This, Hon. Njie added, is one of the party leadership’s best approaches for inclusivity.
Hon. Njie pointed out that politics is synonymous with difference of views and opinions, attributing the situation in the NPP to the strength of the party, adding that they [NPP] do not insult or criticize each other and that the militants are not hostile to the President.
“We are determined as a party to consolidate our unity, strength, and the democratic values and we firmly believe in the path that we have taken,’’ he stated.