UNITE Draws Red Line: No Coalition Talks With Barrow or NPP, Sanyang Says

By Makutu Manneh

Yaya Menteng Sanyang, vice chairman for finance and administration of the UNITE Party and National Assembly member for Latrikunda Sabiji, has ruled out any possibility of his party joining the ruling National People’s Party or entering coalition talks with President Adama Barrow.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou, Mr. Sanyang said UNITE would not engage NPP officials in discussions over a potential political alliance.

He said the party remained open to coalition talks with opposition parties and political organizations across the country, including the United Democratic Party, but drew a firm line at the NPP and President Barrow.

“President Barrow and the NPP are the cause of Gambian problems, and we pronounce ourselves; we say we want to sort out those problems,” Mr. Sanyang said. “How dare we go and submerge ourselves into that problem? It would be better we leave politics.”

Mr. Sanyang said UNITE has consistently maintained that President Barrow and the NPP are responsible for problems facing the country, arguing that entering an alliance with them would contradict the party’s stated position.

He added that UNITE’s founding members would not support such an alliance, saying the party would remain committed to the principles on which it was established and would not disappoint its supporters.