By Fatou Sillah
Malia Touray, the deputy leader of APP-Sobeya, has called for greater flexibility in ongoing discussions among opposition parties seeking to form a coalition ahead of future elections, urging political actors to avoid entering negotiations with fixed conditions.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Touray said successful coalition-building would require compromise and a willingness to prioritize national interests over partisan demands.
“You don’t go into negotiation with preconditions,” he said. “We go in with an open mind; we are willing to negotiate wherever that negotiation leads us.”
His remarks come amid continued efforts by opposition groups to explore possible alliances, even as internal disagreements persist over leadership arrangements and the structure of any potential coalition.
Mr. Touray also emphasized the need for participating parties to agree on clear and transparent criteria for selecting leaders within any alliance that may emerge from the talks.
“So we are going to help develop the criteria for selection, and we hope that when we establish the criteria, we will select the right one,” he said.
His comments appeared to respond, in part, to positions expressed within the United Democratic Party, where some figures have maintained that any opposition alliance should be led by their party regardless of its final configuration. While he acknowledged that view, Mr. Touray rejected the idea that leadership should be predetermined.
“I respect that opinion, although I disagree with it. Having the longer rope doesn’t provide you with water; you have to be smart, you have to be tactical, you have to give and take, and that’s what negotiations are,” he said.
He added that interactions among political actors remained largely cordial, despite occasional disagreements. “The relationship is cordial when we meet. It is respectful. Occasionally, it does flare up, but anybody going out there to register a political party wants to lead; that is understandable,” he said.
Beyond coalition politics, Mr. Touray also urged a broader shift in national priorities, calling for increased attention to economic self-sufficiency, particularly in agriculture.
“We should be focusing on being self-sustaining, especially in food production. We need to have the right people in the right seats,” he said.
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