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| Opposition Leaders. Photo source: foroyaa |
As the decisive presidential election fast approaches, opposition parties in the country are still at log-ahead in trying to form a united opposition coalition which, all of them understands fully well that is the only chance they have against the ruling party. With a little over three months to the December 1st polls, there is still no sign of a coalition. Eight opposition parties have already been cleared by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to challenge the ruling APRC party in the forthcoming elections which have already been tainted by the incarceration of the leading opposition leader and a significant number of his United Democratic Party (UDP) party militants.
I am not in any way affiliated with any political party but I genuinely still struggle to come to terms with the fact that Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, and a significant number of UDP members are still languishing in jail. What many deemed as politically motivated imprisonments, one would have expected all the opposition parties to come together in a more defiance manner to demand for the unconditional release of Lawyer Darboe and all political prisoners. Failure of which, they wouldn't partake in the coming elections - my point if view. But no! they all continue to focus on their own parties and go on their businesses as usual. As if that was not worrying enough, they still simply cannot agree to form a united opposition coalition.
Apparently, negotiations are still ongoing with some parties still in favour of the idea of a coalition while others already casting shadows of doubts over the whole process. It is reported that the NCP, one of the oldest parties in the country said they would not take part in any opposition alliance that is led by another opposition party. And the UDP, who are yet to nominate a flag bearer, are seen by many as the stumbling block in the entire process by trying to use the size of their party as a leverage in any negotiations. Am not entirely sure what the party’s official stance are, but size, popularity or longevity should certainly not be considered in any negotiation process. In my opinion, since all parties are genuinely fighting for the same course, each and every single one of them is equally a stakeholder and must therefore have the same negotiating rights around the table. Why this is difficult to accomplish and why does it always come down to the wire is indeed baffling to me.
Meanwhile, the new kid in the block - the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) appear to be gaining significant momentum in the political arena. They appear to be resonating well with potential voters which is manifested in the huge crowds attending their rallies. I must admit when the IEC announced the registration of a new party - being the GDC back in May, I couldn’t quite make sense out of it given the current political climate. However, they seem to quickly stamp their mark and make their presence felt in the political field. Will they be able to translate crowds into votes come December? Only time will tell! One shall obviously not get carried away just yet.
Affirmingly though, I still stand by an argument in a previous blog post. Whatever following an individual party might have or is able to amass, there is absolutely no chance for any one single political party to take on the APRC on its own. This is largely due to the country’s ‘simple majority’ electoral system otherwise known as ‘first-past-the-post’. There is no chance for a second round of voting, meaning a party can even secure less than 50% of total votes and still emerge victorious.
Sadly, if the current status quo is anything to go by, the December 1st polls can simply be regarded as another formality to extend the already lengthy reign of the APRC regime. So, in the absence of an opposition coalition, we the ones yearning for a 3rd republic can unfortunately continue to dream for the next five years at least. God save the Gambia and her people!
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