This is the strongest statement Ousainou Darboe has made since the establishment of the Barrow Youth for National Development.
The reelected leader and secretary general of the United Democratic Party, Ousainou Darboe, said his party will not tolerate a youth movement that will operate parallel to their party’s only youth wing.
Darboe’s statement is largely seen as a response to the youth movement established by President Adama Barrow which is seen by some UDP supporters as at attempt to divide the party.
“UDP recognizes only the United Democratic Party youth wing. Other than that youth wing, UDP does not recognize any other youth wing, or any other youth movement pretending to be UDP…,” he said at a rally in Buffer Zone on Sunday.
“All the real UDP are in the UDP youth wing… There is not UDP 2016. There is only UDP 1996.”
Darboe was reelected at the party’s congress on Sunday as their leader. He has held that position since 1996.
However, the party which was the biggest opposition party under former ruler Yahya Jammeh now appeared to have divided between President Barrow and Darboe’s camps.
“There should be frank discussion amongst ourselves… It is time that we speak to each other very frankly…,” said Darboe.
“It is time that those members of our National Assembly who are engaged in some other activities which they know very well are anti-UDP— we cannot tolerate this… We will have a code of conduct so that any such person will be dealt with. This is not a threat, it is establishing principle on which the party operates. We cannot go on patching things up in the name of Mashilaha…”
Meanwhile, barely ten minutes after Darboe’s statement, the Barrow Youth for National Development made a facebook update on their planned rally in Basse.
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