By Staff Writer
Six opposition parties and political movements in The Gambia on Tuesday announced that they had signed what they described as a voluntary “Harmony Pact” aimed at reducing hostility and mistrust among rival camps as they negotiate a possible coalition ahead of the presidential election scheduled for Dec. 5.
The agreement, formally titled the “Tri-vergence Accord,” was entered into on March 3 under the auspices of APeX, an independent civic platform that has been convening talks among opposition figures seeking to unify against the incumbent government.
The signatories are All People’s Party Sobeyaa, led by Essa Mbye Faal; Gambia for All, headed by Bakary Bunja Dabo; National Unity Party, led by Dr. Lamin J. Darbo; Tabax Rewmi Movement, led by Ahmadou Kah; the United Democratic Party, under ANM Ousainou Darboe; and the Unite Movement for Change, whose interim leader is Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
In a joint statement issued in Banjul, the parties described the accord as a “good-faith framework” designed to promote mutual respect, constructive engagement, and non-hostility during what they acknowledged are complex and competitive coalition negotiations.
While the pact is not legally binding, the parties characterized it as a “solemn moral and political commitment” to harmonious coexistence among opposition stakeholders and presidential aspirants in the lead-up to the December vote.Under the terms of the accord, signatories pledged that their members and supporters would refrain from inflammatory rhetoric, incitement, false statements, and conduct likely to provoke violence or public disorder. The agreement does not bar debate or political disagreement — which the parties described as essential in a multiparty democracy — but seeks to prevent disputes from escalating into public confrontation.
The document also outlines dialogue and mediation mechanisms intended to resolve inter-party grievances and prioritize de-escalation where tensions arise.
The name “Tri-vergence,” the statement said, reflects what the parties described as a symbolic convergence on Feb. 18, when The Gambia marked its Independence Day alongside the opening days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Christian season of Lent.The signatories said the pact was conceived as a provisional safeguard for the integrity of the ongoing coalition-building process, as well as a confidence-building measure among opposition actors who have historically struggled to maintain unity.
The accord remains open to additional parties and presidential aspirants who are not currently participating in the coalition talks. Interested groups may formally signal their intention to join by writing to APeX or to any of the existing signatories, the statement said.
In closing, the six parties urged their members, supporters, and the broader public to uphold what they called the “letter and spirit” of the accord, both online and in face-to-face political engagement.Whether the pledge will translate into a unified opposition ticket remains uncertain, but Tuesday’s announcement signals a renewed attempt to manage internal rivalries as the campaign season approaches.
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