Africa-Press – Gambia. PASTEF The Gambia has endorsed political analyst Demba Ali Jawo’s call for inclusive coalition-building, stressing that sustainable political alliances must be grounded in equality, shared ownership, and consensus.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the party said Jawo’s appeal for principled coalition processes aligns with PASTEF’s long-held position that no single party or individual should dominate negotiations. Coalition politics, it added, should be guided by transparency and enforceable agreements to ensure long-term stability.
PASTEF reflected on lessons from the 2016 coalition that ended authoritarian rule but later collapsed, attributing its failure to weak negotiation frameworks and unclear institutional arrangements. “A coalition built merely on expediency or automatic leadership claims risks fragility and failure,” the statement said.
The party also highlighted the implications of the rejected Draft Constitution, which proposed a second-round voting system that could have fostered negotiated alliances. In its absence, PASTEF called on political actors to exercise responsibility, compromise, and collective decision-making.
The statement underscored the role of neutral platforms, such as the Apex Initiative, described by Jawo as essential facilitators. PASTEF emphasized that coalition success depends on dialogue, maturity, and shared commitment rather than unilateral directives.
PASTEF added that coalitions must go beyond regime change to pursue systemic reforms, including democratic governance, accountability, constitutionalism, and institutional strengthening. Without a shared vision, the party warned, alliances risk becoming temporary arrangements with limited transformative impact.
The party concluded that Jawo’s recommendations reaffirm PASTEF’s position: only inclusive, consensus-driven, principle-based coalitions can deliver meaningful political change for The Gambia and its citizens.
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