By Tabora Bojang
APP-Sobeyaa leader Essa Faal has denied claims that he demanded the position of a vice president as a condition for him to remain in the opposition coalition.
Members of the Unite party stated that Faal proposed that whoever came second in the candidate selection should be given the vice president position should the coalition win in December.
Faal was among final three candidates for the position of the flag-bearer but he pulled out stating the selection process could no longer provide the fairness, transparency and credibility required. He said his party could not be part of a process where one outcome is effectively regarded as the only acceptable one.
He alleged that Bensouda’s camp had communicated their position that they may not be prepared to accept another person’s leadership because they had invested heavily in their campaign over the past three years.
“We respect their right to support their candidate but a coalition cannot be built on the assumption that one candidate must win. That undermines the very spirit of shared governance and collective political endeavour,” Faal noted.
However, Bensouda’s camp swiftly rejected this narration as “false and misleading.” It said Mr Faal’s withdrawal was primarily premised on the rejection of his proposal for the vice presidential position which the general body did not accept.
It rejected the allegations that Talib was not prepared to accept another person’s leadership because a lot of investment was made on his campaign. “Our consistent position has been, and remains, that we will follow whoever wins the flag-bearer contest, fairly conducted… This alleged position was never held, and never officially communicated, by Unite,” it said.
But Faal debunked this explanation and accused Unite of misrepresenting both its position and circumstances for its withdrawal. APP- Sobeyaa stated that Bensouda, his brother Aziz, and Ebrima Dibba visited Faal and made similar claim also followed by Aziz making similar statement to APP-Sobeyaa’s chief negotiator Ousainou Bobb adding that this discussion was undertaken with Bobb acting in his official capacity and with knowledge and sanction of the party.