Gambia opposition leader links country’s failure to corruption, vows to fight it

Banjul, Gambia (PANA)  -  Bakary Bunja Darboe, leader of Gambia For All (GFA), a political party registered weeks ago, has linked the West African nation’s failure  to corruption and vowed to fight it if he assumes the helm of leadership in the country.

Darboe said this at a news conference here Wednesday in Fajara, about 18km outside Banjul.

“Gambia For All is setting out with awareness that the deplorable situation we now have has been brought about to a large extent by corruption. And we know therefore that there is no way we can make an impact without finding a way to tackling it.

“But I think most fundamentally, this is one area where example the top matters most. Good example has to be set by the top leadership for good governance and clean government; this what Gambia For All will stand for,” he added.

According to him, his government will put in place effective processes and practices to ensure corruption as a problem is kept within a manageable level.

He said tackling corruption called for lots of measures, adding that part of his government to fighting corruption would be done through the law.

Darboe, who commits to fighting corruption in the country, and his PPP government were accused of corruption by former and exiled President Yahya Jammeh.

He later fled the country and had been living in exile until the end of Jammeh’s 22-year rule.

Upon his return in the country in 2018, Darboe fell out with his former People’s Progressive Party after he lost the party’s leadership position to Muhammadou Papa Njie.

He cited fraud and ballot stuffing in the congress election and formed his own political party which was registered by the Independent Electoral Commission last week.

-0-      PANA    MSS/RA    08Jan2020