By Buba Gagigo
The Secretary-General and Party leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has said that his party will not allow president Adama Barrow to tamper with the Supreme Court judgment as the government prepares to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the conduct of local government councils.
“I saw it on social media, I don’t know how true it is. They said a commission of inquiry into the conduct of local government administrations, whatever. President Adama Barrow, we want to warn you, if you attempt to interfere with the Supreme Court judgment in the KMC, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, and 50 others against the Attorney General you are making a mistake. We will not allow that in this country.
“You lost on that front and you think you can come through the back door and try to interfere with the local government administrations before the local government election. Is not going to happen here and if you and your people think that you can have interim orders from a nonsensical Commission to stop our mayors and our chairmen from performing our duties that the Supreme Court has asked them to do that will not happen,” the UDP leader said during KK Barrow’s victory celebration in Gunjur last Saturday.
The United Democratic Party (UDP) leader said it is every Citizens’ right to protect the constitution of the Gambia and said his party will never allow president Barrow to tamper with the Supreme Court judgment;
“Every Gambian has a duty to protect the constitution of this country and the constitution said if a court makes its final ruling, no one has the right to tamper with that. Supreme Court has ruled that the Mayors and the chairmen should continue and all councilors. If you think those people who call themselves to be researchers and experts, if they mislead you to institute a commission in an act of desperation ‘Walahi’ you are calling for trouble,” he said.
Honorable Darboe said his party, the UDP, has always advocated for peace in the Gambia but they cannot also accept the government pushing down the truth.
“That is completely not acceptable. We are not calling for any violence but we are saying that we will resist and we will do what the constitution calls for to be done in this country,” he said.
He said if president Adama Barrow’s government was serious about matters affecting local government administration in this country, he should have investigated them two or three years ago but not a few months before the elections.
“Why didn’t you do that two or three years ago if you are serious about matters affecting local government administration in this country, Mr. President? You were elected to carry out major reforms in this country and those reforms include Local Governments administration in this country. Why for seven years now you have not attempted to do that? What are the faults Mr president? If you think there is anything wrong with local government administrations, you should have appointed a team of experts to advise you rather than going on this nonsensical witch hunting and is all witch hunt. We are waiting for you,” Darboe said.
The Secretary-General and Party leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) was speaking in Gunjur last Saturday during KK Barrow’s victory celebration.