Africa-Press – Gambia. Edrissa Sanyang, a self-identified founding member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has issued a stark public critique of the party’s presidential candidate selection process, alleging a significant departure from its foundational democratic principles.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Sanyang contended that the current framework is structurally biased in favor of the incumbent party leader, Ousainou Darboe. To substantiate his claim, he referenced his former role as secretary to a pivotal party committee, “The Way Forward,” chaired by the late Eminent M.O. Sonko. He stated this committee was expressly vested with the authority to design the procedures for selecting the Central and Selection Committees responsible for choosing presidential candidates.
According to Sanyang, the current leadership, under Mr. Darboe, refused to accept the committee’s proposed document. Instead, he alleges a subsequent rewriting of the party’s constitution that centralized critical authority within the office of the Secretary General—a post long held by Mr. Darboe himself.
This consolidation of power, Sanyang argues, has fundamentally altered the party’s character. He described the UDP’s current structure as having devolved into a “cult-like” hierarchy where the leader wields absolute control, effectively stifling internal dissent and competitive candidacy.
“No wonder since the formation of the UDP, there has never been a change of the party leader and secretary general,” Sanyang stated. “Due to the powers he has, he is able to pick and choose committee members who will do his bidding.”
He concluded with a nostalgic lament, suggesting that the party has diverged from the vision of its original architects, specifically citing the dedicated efforts of its first administrative secretary, the late Sidia Sanyang. Under the current regime, Sanyang asserted, the UDP has ceased to function as the democratic institution it was originally constituted to be.
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