Dear Editor,
Mr Tabora should report fully and accurately. He was told that PDOIS aims for a grand coalition of opposition parties and efforts are being done to call for a national conference to discuss the initiative; that what he Tabora should do is to engage Halifa Sallah and Sidia Jatta to shed light on the process since the two are spearheading the initiative; that PDOIS Congress has endorsed the coalition initiative called Team Gambia and unless that process is exhausted, PDOIS will not invest it’s energy on another initiative.
He asked whether PDOIS will be ready to go it alone, he was told that the objectives of Coalition 2016 for democratic transition has not been achieved which gives the incumbent extreme advantages over the opposition when it comes to first past the post or a simple majority instead of the absolute majority principle; that in the absence of an absolute majority principle or 50% plus system, it is much easier for the incumbent to beat the opposition not because he or she is popular but because of the lack of playing field and opposition fragmentation.
He was told that PDOIS will come up with its Plan B if the Team Gambia Initiative fails; that what is important is to focus on the process until it’s done.
He was advised to reach out to those spearheading the Team Gambia coalition initiative but instead of doing that, he comes with this half-hearted and incomplete statement.
Let me assert that PDOIS is growing every day and every night and it will continue to grow in a progressive way irrespective of what happens in 2026. PDOIS is not power hungry and it will only be part of a national grouping that is sincerely interested in serving national interest and the interests of the people.
PDOIS calls for an all inclusive coalition that would avoid the mistakes and deliberate decisions experienced by Coalition 2016 as a result of egoistic behaviours of some participants which have created this unfortunate situation for this beautiful country from transitioning to full fledged democracy.
I hope this makes matters clearer for your readers.
Suwaibou Touray
PDOIS
Tribalism – A spark in the hay of peace
Dear Editor,
In our quiet moments of what is becoming a superficial serenity, the fragility of peace is being tested to its limit. The maintenance of peace grossly depends on mutual trust. In our small community, The Gambia, a dangerous fire is being fueled. Trust is being severely, deliberately, and consistently eroded.
Words are fanning the flames of division. The viral remarks of a prominent religious leader and Human Rights Commissioner targeting the Mandinka ethnic group are not a slip-up or an isolated bigotry. It is a recognised symptom of a systemic social malaise looming to tear down the very fabric of our country. It is becoming glaringly oppressive.
An entire tribe must not feel isolated; otherwise, the unity that binds a nation will begin to display a fractured, peaceful atmosphere. Our greatest strength as a nation is in our shared sense of belonging.
Dismissing the relevance of a whole ethnic group and denying them a dignified space only breeds resentment and creates an air of oppression. An oppressed people will always seek dignity and inclusion. That is a historic fact.
Apart from individuals, we have witnessed state officials align political power with ethnic identity. Public service is being ominously and surreptitiously transformed into an instrument of exclusion. This emerging status quo has been publicly and unabashedly echoed by senior government officials on political platforms. The open denial of public service opportunities to citizens based solely on their tribal heritage is a dangerous policy choice.
Similarly, when a public appointment profile openly marginalises an entire ethnic group, while reassuring others that the government belongs exclusively to them, power is not consolidated – it is laying the groundwork for chaos and a dismantling of governance.
The saying that peace is not the absence of war only confirms that it is not a permanent state. It is a fragile, dry stack of hay waiting for an unintended flame. If a government continues to weaponise identity and validates bigotry, the quiet frustration can eventually ignite into unmanageable chaos.
Every blatant act of political favour based solely on tribe erodes the very common purpose that binds us as a peaceful society. Every silence, inaction, and lack of institutional condemnation of tribal slur breaches the status of peaceful co-existence.
We must realise that a single straw can break a camel’s back. Such poisonous rhetoric from individuals holding public office gradually permeates marketplaces and neighbourhoods. The conversation coming out there becomes equally toxic.
History serves as a relentless teacher, repeatedly warning us that no country can survive when its governance is anchored in condoning division. For that reason, true leadership does not demand allegiance by degrading and vilifying a tribe, nor does it seek stability by condoning bigotry.
The country urgently needs a mindset reset towards national reconciliation and, more so, equitable representation. The recent incident involving an Imam is a call for leaders across all spheres – political, traditional, and religious – to reject the short-sighted gains of ethnic rhetoric vehemently.
Our unity now requires a deliberate policy (and perhaps legislation), inclusive governance, and a profound respect for the nation’s collective identity.
Such venomous and consistent aspersions against a tribe and the attendant social and political expediency it seeks should give way to social cohesion, national solidarity, and patriotic harmony, before rhetoric turns into retribution, and before a single careless act ignites a spark in the hay of peace.
Lamino Lang Comma
Brikama