(JollofNews) – Police in the Gambia have refused to grant an opposition party permit to hold a meeting in the weekend.
The Gambia Democratic Congress party (GDC) was due to hold a rally in Brikama, Kombo Central, on Saturday and had applied for a permit in accordance with the country’s Public Order Act.
Despite completing all the necessary paperwork and receiving assurances from the Inspector General of Police, the police failed to issue the party with the permit.
The GDC is the largest opposition party in the Gambian parliament and is holding series of political events to shore up its grassroot base ahead of next April’s local government election.
The party’s leader, Mamma Kandeh, was last week questioned by the police after revealing what he described as serious corruption in the heart of government.
Mr Kandeh has since accused the police of being partisan and undermining his party’s effort to hold the government accountable and expose any wrong doings.
Who Should be Consumed by The Law?
jarjou.blogspot.co.at, 13.08.2017
Dear Folks,
Please be reminded that Mai Ahmad Fatty the minister of Interior once alleged against the Fonika's that they were with local arms during the demonstration in Kanilai.
In another development the minister of information communication and technology Demba A. Jawo is on record who said the ECoMIG soldiers used rubber bullets which is also a big propaganda as far beyond mountain Everest.
If Mama should be arrested or called for questioning as per the allegations made against the Barrow lead administration, I see no reason why Mai and Demba A. Jawo shouldn’t be consumed by the law 89m deep below sea level.
Mama allegations are political strategy which are allowed in any political theory, discipline and arena. Being an opposition to a ruling party is a constitutional right of a citizen within the state of nature.
During Jammeh's era he was accused of many evil and wrong doing some of which he never deed. Thanks to the allegations by folks both those home and abroad as a result which lead to the reason of his downfall and send packing to Equatorial Guinea. If Jammeh used the platform to invite politicians for questioning believe you in me there will be nothing like new Gambia today.
This act by the Gambia Police Force is unconstitutional, undemocratic, and unlawful and it is a threat to The Gambia’s newly born democracy. The Police have pressing issues to solve such as the high increasing, swelling rate of armed robbery, rape, murder and theft
The questions one might be quick to as asked will be, is it a crime under the laws of our dear mother land for a politician to comment on such and are we in the era of constitutional hijack and coup?
If yes then Mai and Demba should be invited for questioning too. This act show a clear testimony that we are in the era of selective justice. Where citizens are treated based on loyalty to political party.
This is not The Gambia we dream neither The Gambia we want to see. We dream of The Gambia where the concept and theory of democracy will be put in to practice and implemented to the maximum level as far beyond the red sea.
Rule for one should be rule for all, if we want to make The Gambia the last place of peace, harmony and hope on earth. As mention in our national anthem “Let justice guide our action towards the common goal”
In rebuilding a new Gambia we want all politicians should be treated equally despite of their political ideology and party.
NB: I'm not a member of GDC but writing in my capacity as a Political Activist.
God Save The Gambia. Amen!
By: Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Blogger/Activist
GDC denied permit
The Point, 14.08.2017
The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) has been denied a police permit to hold a political rally in Brikama on Saturday, the campaign manager said.
Adama Manjang, national campaign manager of the opposition GDC, told The Point:
“On Tuesday, I applied for a permit for political rally to be held in Brikama. After submitting the application for permit on Tuesday, somebody called the GDC headquarters from the office of the Inspector General of Police saying somebody from GDC should come to the police station on Thursday.
“I went to the [police] registry and they referred me to the PIU office. I was told to come with two members of GDC. I informed our leader, Mamma Kandeh. He asked me to comply by bringing two other members of the party.
“When they came, the police gave us three forms to fill, among the questions on the form they were asking for date of birth, marital status, occupation, address, etc. I, Essa M. Jallow, the PRO of the party, and MC Cham, the national youth mobiliser, filled the forms. I told them this never happen when applying for permit but they told us even APRC followed the same procedure when applying for permit. I told them that I was surprised with the New Gambia.
“We underwent all the screening processes. After 3 pm, we were told to go to the Inspector General of Police. Upon entering his office, I met the IGP ready to go home. He [the IGP] said ‘the file is in my office, we are on the process. You can go home. We have your contact numbers written in the file, you will hear from us later’. We did not hear from them the whole day on Saturday, no call from the police.”
The public relations officer of the Gambia Police Force, Inspector Foday Conta, was contacted for comment but to no avail.
Last week Tuesday, Mamma Kandeh, GDC leader, was questioned by the police following remarks he made in Essau against some ministers accusing them for malfeasance contracts on behalf of the government.
The police asked him to substantiate the accusation. He was also asked to clarify certain points he made about the Kanilai protest which lead to the death of one Haruna Jatta.
All efforts made to reach the Police PRO for comments proved futile.