By Makutu Manneh
Assan Martin, a lawyer and spokesman for Opposition Coalition 2026, has said the emerging alliance will have stronger accountability measures than the coalition formed ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
In an interview with Kerr Fatou, Mr. Martin described the negotiations as part of a national effort to rebuild public institutions and advance political and constitutional reforms in The Gambia.
He said the proposed coalition would be guided by constitutional reform, a clearly defined policy agenda, and agreements that its eventual leader would be required to honor.
“We have worked on documents, policy frameworks, guidelines, and manifestos,” Mr. Martin said. “A great deal of work has been done in terms of documentation.”
The 2016 opposition coalition succeeded in defeating former President Yahya Jammeh after more than two decades in power. But the alliance later fractured after President Adama Barrow broke with several of the political leaders who had supported his candidacy.
Mr. Martin said Coalition 2026 was attempting to avoid a similar outcome by establishing clearer rules and stronger institutional safeguards before selecting a candidate.
He urged voters, particularly young Gambians, to take the initiative seriously. The objective, he said, was to persuade citizens to support a shared national program rather than base their decision solely on an individual candidate or political party.
Mr. Martin also said the coalition did not belong to any single party, movement, or individual. Its work would continue, he added, even if some participating groups withdrew from the negotiations.
He said the coalition’s central objectives remained strengthening public institutions, restoring confidence in government, and implementing reforms.
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