Ebrima Nyang, GDC Admin Secretary 1
By Buba Gagigo
The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) has officially announced its participation in the forthcoming National Dialogue scheduled to take place at the State House tomorrow.
In a statement released following an Executive meeting, the GDC expressed its commitment to engaging in the National Dialogue, emphasizing the significance of such discussions for the nation’s progress.
“I write to inform the members of the public that following the Executive meeting of the Gambia Democratic Congress with regard to the invitation letter sent to the GDC captioned invitation to the National Dialogue. I would like to inform all of you that the GDC has agreed to take part in the National Dialogue for the way forward for this country.
“It is a proud moment that the President has finally answered our call in order to sit with the opposition parties so as to discuss areas of interest for the country. As a party, it was part of the recommendations sent to the Constitutional Review Commission to have it as a law in our constitution because it will bring political peace and tolerance within the political arena,” GDC said through their Administrative Secretary 1 Ebrima Nyang.
GDC also believes that the call by the president should have come earlier on, especially during COVID-19 when the world was facing health challenges that were never experienced.
However, the party also voiced its reservations regarding the thematic areas identified for discussion, suggesting that vital sectors like Education, Health, Agriculture, Draft Constitution, and Economy were overlooked.
“Nevertheless, we would also like to register our concern on the thematic areas indicated to be discussed; looking at it, we believe as a party, key sectors are left behind which we consider as very instrumental towards the development of this country. It is baffling that we can have a dialogue about the country without these areas, namely: Education, Health, Agriculture, Draft Constitution, Economy, etc.
“All these areas are not featured in the dialogue and are therefore the most pressing issues for the nation to address. The dialogue would have been an invitation for party proposals with areas of concern so that everyone can take ownership of it. I would like to reaffirm that the GDC under the leadership of Hon. Mamma Kandeh will wholeheartedly take part in the National Dialogue and look forward to it tomorrow Monday,” they said.
Despite these concerns, the GDC reiterated its commitment to participating in the dialogue and expressed optimism about the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the discussions.
The National Dialogue, scheduled for tomorrow at State House, is poised to be a crucial platform for addressing pressing issues facing the Gambia.