By Seedy Jobe
The Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, has urged partners in the Gambia First Coalition to trust that he will honor any political agreements he enters into, saying his commitment to such arrangements goes beyond signed documents.
Speaking during an interview on the For The People By The People show, Darboe was asked what assurances he could give Gambians and coalition partners that he would respect agreements reached before the election and avoid the disputes that characterized previous political alliances.
Darboe said his commitment should be judged by his character and his willingness to enter only agreements he intends to honor.
“What I want to say is that I do not agree to anything that I would not abide by. That is me,” he said.
The veteran politician argued that integrity cannot be guaranteed by a signature alone, saying honesty and sincerity are ultimately matters of character.
Darboe also rejected suggestions that his pursuit of the presidency could lead him to accept political arrangements simply to secure support, insisting that he is not desperate to become president.
“I’m not really desperate to be president of The Gambia. Otherwise, I could have accepted all these things,” he said.
He said his approach is to make his positions clear from the outset rather than agree to conditions he may later be unwilling to fulfill.
Darboe also pointed to previous political partnerships that he said were built on trust and called on parties joining the Gambia First Coalition to extend the same confidence to him.
“We forged a partnership on trust. And I want all parties who are coming into partnership with us to trust me,” he said.
The UDP leader said he does not want to enter into any political arrangement in which he would make commitments that he could not honor, reiterating that trust and adherence to agreed principles would be central to his relationship with coalition partners.
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