By Fatou Sillah
Kemo Bojang, the UNITE Party spokesperson, has proposed that a nationwide public opinion survey be used to determine who should lead a united opposition coalition in The Gambia’s 2026 presidential election, arguing that the choice should reflect the preferences of voters rather than being decided solely by political parties.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, the party’s spokesperson said UNITE supports the ongoing coalition negotiations among opposition parties and remains committed to working toward a unified front. He added, however, that the party is prepared to contest the election independently if coalition efforts do not succeed.
“A survey will be best to determine who will be a candidate for the coalition,” he said.
The spokesperson argued that while political parties can negotiate the framework of a coalition, the selection of its presidential candidate should be informed by the views of the electorate through a nationwide survey conducted by an independent and credible institution.
“If the Gambian people say they want a candidate or they want a coalition, I believe we need to go back to them and ask them, ‘Who do you want to lead this coalition?'” he said.
He suggested that a reputable institution could conduct a scientific survey presenting the names of prospective coalition candidates. The survey results, he said, could form part of the selection process, with the remaining criteria based on qualifications and conditions agreed upon by coalition partners.
According to him, such an approach would give ordinary Gambians a direct voice in selecting the coalition’s standard-bearer rather than leaving the decision exclusively to delegates appointed by political parties.
“These delegates are not necessarily representing the voices of the people; they are representing the voice of their political parties,” he said.
The spokesperson also pointed to the opposition coalition that contested the 2016 presidential election, arguing that the method used to select its flag-bearer left lingering divisions among participating parties.
“The scars of 2016 are still very fresh, and even that primary and that convention that was held, I believe, was one of the main factors that brought mistrust among the political parties that were part of Coalition 2016,” he said.
He said the current coalition discussions should prioritize the interests of Gambians rather than those of individual political parties, emphasizing that any coalition candidate would ultimately depend on public support to win the presidency.
Despite backing the coalition talks, the spokesperson reiterated the UNITE Party’s confidence in its own electoral prospects.
“We have always said UNITE will be the next government or be part of the next government,” he said.
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