The leader of the United Democratic Party Ousainou Darboe has called on his supporters to desist from politics of insults. Mr. Darboe was speaking at the party’s 24 years anniversary. “We must all refrain at all cost from the politics of bitterness, insults and polarisation. Let us reflect on the sacrifice of our heroes who are no longer with us but their enduring legacy of commitment to ideas above and beyond their personal needs remain in our hearts and that of a grateful nation,” Darboe remarked.
“I wish to reiterate my repeated counsel to UDP members, supporters and friends and that is to respectfully engage, seek the support and dialogue with every Gambian with utmost humility and decorum. Our task and objective is to persuade our fellow citizens about the efficacy of our ideas regarding our shared goals of making Gambia better for all. Whilst I am confident that we are not bereft of goods ideas and indeed of the best of ideas, we do not claim or pretend to have a monopoly on good ideas and therefore we must all be willing to listen to ideas different from ours with the hope of learning and building consensus,” he added.
According to Darboe, the journey to defeating a vicious tyrant in 2016 was the culmination of a 22 year effort of prayers, hard work, blood, tears, exile, disappearances, imprisonment, torture and economic ruin of several people. Our people, he said, fought in all these categories as part of a necessary battle selflessly, courageously and with passion not in the quest for what they can get for themselves or their family.
“They were driven by love for country and the firm believe that Gambia deserved a democracy and a government that was as good as its people. Those who wish to peddle the counter factual history that the victory of democracy over tyranny in 2016 was a three month transaction led by an un-known lion killer fool no one with their delusions but themselves. Our collective freedom was delivered in 2016 by those who never gave up on the promise of democracy as an instrument of change and the capacity and experience of ordinary Gambians in its utilisation for peaceful change. Those are the people who would stay up till two O’Clock in the morning to receive a UDP delegation in their villages or like minded citizens in the diaspora working across party lines and with unaffiliated independents to support a united front to flush out a tyrant. They gave money, voice and deliverable political capital here at home through family and community intervention to defeat a tyrant and restore democracy,” he added.
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