By: Kemo Kanyi
Mai Ahmad Fatty, the leader of the opposition GMC, has spoken after the renewal of the Grand Alliance with the ruling party.
It could be recalled that the NPP and its allies met over the weekend to strategize on issues ahead of the 2026 presidential election. These parties formed a coalition with the ruling party during the 2021 presidential elections 2021.
The GMC leader has been in the centre of focus of critics from some political actors in and outside the country.
Reacting to this on a social media post, Mr. Fatty says he remains firmly anchored in the principles of democracy, including the right of every Gambian to hold and to express their opinion, saying he does not take those who disagree with his views as enemies, but as fellow compatriots who love The Gambia, even if from different perspectives.
He stated that critical analysis in political diversity may arise from misconstrued positions, adding that insults from opponents of his position in Gambian politics are non-negotiable.
“Much of the criticisms stem mainly from one camp, and I do not believe it is from malice, but from misunderstanding. However, there is a red line. Insults, especially against my person or my parents, are unacceptable. Disagreement is not a license for indecency. To insult is to degrade oneself,” he asserted.
GMC leader maintains that he deeply respects the sacrifice of all political actors and remains open to working with anyone in good faith.
“Alliance-building is the norm in politics, even between parties with divergent ideologies, so long as they find common ground on critical national priorities. It does not mean endorsing all policies or past actions,” he pointed out.
Mr. Fatty recounted forming an alliance with the UDP in 2011 and 2012 against an APRC government and supporting a UDP candidate for the 2016 Coalition Convention so that their chosen candidate would win to become the unified coalition pick. He added that in 2017, during the parliamentary elections, GMC formed a tactical alliance with UDP, outlining that he brought out their previous political links with the UDP for no other reason than to show that alliance formation is not new and part of his party’s established political culture.
“We still reserve the same independence to choose any political association, and that must be respected. The loud noise against it is something anticipated because they would have applauded it had we allied with them. In democracies around the world, including those where some critics live, such alliances are routine. You don’t have to agree on everything with an Alliance partner to work together for something bigger,” he clarified.
He urged that politics should not be a contest of hatred but a duel of ideas. Dogma does not build nations, he says, vision and flexibility do.
“Let us rise above hostility and suspicion,” he encouraged. “We are many voices but one country, one destiny.”
