Will GDC/UDP Pull out from Alliance for Change 2021 threaten Coalition efforts?

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Not very much was known about the Alliance for Change 2021 until news emerged late Tuesday that a group of five political parties are coming together to form a united front against incumbent President Adama Barrow of the NPP in the December 4 Presidential elections.

And many were surprised on Wednesday morning when the group of five political parties supposed to met and appended their signature on a memorandum of understanding committing them to the new alliance, but only three out five parties turn out which many fear dashes hopes for a viable coalition capable of removing President Barrow from power.

But Leaders of the three political parties including CA’s Dr Ismaila Ceesay, Mai Ahmad Fatty of Gambia Moral Congress and Dr Ibrahim Jagne of APP now agree to work together to contest under a united front.

The group did not a name a leader but have promised to do so through a convention where delegates will vote for a standard bearer.

One political analyst told Alkamba Times that the future of the new alliance is in the balance with major opposition parties staying away from the new political coalition.

Other party Leaders who did not show up at the signing of the alliance 2021 document include leaders of the Gambia For All and National Unity Party led by Ebrima Abdoulie Jammeh.

Late Tuesday evening Citizens Alliance issued a statement announcing that Opposition United Democratic Party and Gambia Democratic Party pulled out of the talks that have been going on for weeks citing a standoff over the selection of a flagbearer.

However, the leaders who signed the document have renewed their commitment to usher in a new and democratic Gambia calling on Gambians to rally behind the alliance.

Mai Fatty, once a prominent member of the 2016 coalition that brought Adama Barrow to power said change is possible with a strong united front.

Many people are now questioning the survival of the Alliance for Change 2021 as the race to Statehouse intensifies with the Independent Electoral commission announcing nomination dates for more than 20 contesting presidential candidates.

This is the first presidential polls in the post Yahya Jammeh Gambia, which is witnessing a heightened political atmosphere, edging to a high point ahead of the decisive December 4th elections.

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Mr. Sainey M.K. Marenah is a Prominent Gambian journalist, founding editor The Alkamba Times and formerly head of communications at the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and Communications and PR Consultant for The Gambia Pilot Program, under Gamworks. Mr. Marenah served as the Social media Strategist and Editor at Gambia Radio and Television Services. He is also the Banjul Correspondent for Voice of America Radio. Sainey is a human rights and developmental journalist who has carved a strong niche particularly in new media environments in the Gambian media industry. Mr. Marenah began his career as a junior reporter with the Point Newspaper in the Gambia in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become Chief correspondent before moving to The Standard Newspaper also in Banjul as Editorial Assistant and head of News. He is a household name in the Gambia’s media industry having covered some of the most important stories in the former and current government. These include the high profile treason cases including the Trial of Former military chiefs in Banjul in 2009 to 2012. Following his arrest and imprisonment by the former regime of President, Yahya Jammeh in 2014, Marenah moved to Dakar Senegal where he continues to practice Journalism freelancing for various local and international Media organization’s including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, VOA, and ZDF TV in Germany among others. He is the co-Founder of the Banjul Based Media Center for Research and Development; an institution specialized in research and development undertakings. As a journalist and Communication Expert, focused on supporting the Gambia's transitional process, Mr Marenah continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a viable media and communications platform that engages necessary tools and action to increase civic participation and awareness of the needs of transitional governance to strengthen the current move towards democratization. Mr. Marenah has traveled extensively as a professional journalist in both Europe, Africa and United States and attended several local and international media trainings.

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