Africa-Press – Gambia. The Public Relations Officer of PASTEF The Gambia, Mr. Mayorro Sidibeh, has strongly condemned the National Assembly’s decision to double the political party registration fee from D1 million to D2 million. The move follows a recent increase in the presidential nomination deposit from D10,000 to D1 million.
Mr. Sidibeh described the decision as “a deeply regressive step,” arguing that it is not a reform but rather “an assault on democratic participation” that threatens to exclude young and aspiring Gambians from shaping the country’s future.
“This is not legislation; it is legislative elitism,” he said.
He contended that in a democracy where the Constitution guarantees the right to form political parties, such financial barriers are unjustifiable.
“How can a people-driven system demand millions from those seeking to serve? This does not protect democracy, it smothers it under the weight of wealth,” Mr. Sidibeh added.
Responding to claims that “politics is not a child’s play,” Mr. Sidibeh countered that “politics is equally not an oligarch’s sport.” He argued that the Assembly is sidelining the youth and the working class by tying political participation to wealth.
“It’s not about filtering unserious contenders, it’s about gatekeeping power,” he stressed.
He noted that many of today’s dominant political parties began with modest resources and relied on ideas and grassroots support rather than financial strength. Had similar financial barriers existed in the past, he said, some of those parties might never have survived, let alone thrived.
Mr. Sidibeh further warned that the fee increase will not deter so-called “business parties” but will instead entrench political privilege and hinder genuine grassroots movements.
“True political viability should be measured by public support, transparency, and integrity, not financial muscle,” he emphasized.
“The Assembly has chosen to raise a financial wall instead of a democratic standard. This is not fiscal responsibility, it is systemic disenfranchisement dressed as reform, echoing tactics once associated with dictatorship,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Sidibeh praised lawmakers who opposed the bill for their integrity and commitment to democratic principles. He warned, however, that those who supported the measure would be remembered for shrinking the country’s democratic space.
“We call for an immediate reversal. No democracy thrives when money, not merit, decides who leads,” he concluded.
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