By Staff Writer
The United Democratic Party (UDP) has raised concerns over what it describes as the continued denial of access to the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, questioning whether political parties are being treated equally in their use of the public facility.
The concerns follow the Conference Centre’s rejection of the UDP’s request to use the venue for its 30th anniversary conference, scheduled for August 21 and 22, 2026.
In a letter dated August 10 and addressed to the UDP, the management of the Banjul International Convention Centre Ltd. said the Plenary Hall, which can accommodate the approximately 300 participants expected at the event, was unavailable because of a technical problem discovered following an event held on August 7.
Management said the problem was undergoing technical assessment and corrective work. It added that the Centre’s Thematic Rooms, which could ordinarily be combined as an alternative, were also unavailable on the requested dates.
The UDP, however, said the latest rejection follows an earlier attempt to secure the facility for its national retreat in February. According to the party, it was verbally informed at the time that the Conference Centre had stopped renting its facilities to political parties for political activities.
The party said it later observed that the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) was allowed to use the same facility for its manifesto launch, raising questions about what it described as the inconsistent application of the Centre’s policy.
Similar concerns have emerged involving UNITE Party. When UNITE sought to use the Conference Centre for its manifesto launch, it received an email from Ramatoulie Jallow, an Event and Conference Officer at the Centre, informing the party that its booking could not be accommodated because of “technical constraints.”
“We appreciate your interest in hosting your event at our venue. Due to technical constraints, we are unable to accommodate your booking request on this occasion,” the email stated.
The separate rejections have raised questions over access to the publicly owned facility, particularly as The Gambia approaches the 2026 presidential election.
The UDP said the matter goes beyond access to a single venue and touches on broader questions of equal treatment and the conditions necessary for free and fair political competition.
“A genuinely level electoral playing field also requires political parties to have equitable access to public spaces, public information, and media platforms through which they can communicate their policies and programmes to the electorate,” the party said.
The UDP also raised concerns about opposition access to public media, including GRTS, and called on the Independent Electoral Commission, civil society groups, media organizations, and relevant authorities to pay attention to the equitable treatment of political parties ahead of the election.
The Conference Centre’s latest letter does not address the UDP’s claim that it was previously told political activities were no longer being accommodated, nor does it explain the circumstances under which the NPP was subsequently permitted to hold its manifesto launch at the venue.
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