The United Democratic Party leader, Ousainu Darboe, has urged his party supporters to avoid insulting or intimidating their political opponents.

“You cannot really intimidate people and expect them to support you. That is not UDP. The party has always taken the position that its ideas are superior to the ideas of its opponents and we have always engaged them to convince them that ours is the right position,” Mr. Darboe said.

Mr. Darboe made these remarks during a speech to party supporters in Wisconsin, United States at the launch of a new UDP Chapter in the City. He spoke to the UDP supporters via conference call.

He urged the party’s supporters and activists at home and in the diaspora to abstain from insulting and caricaturing their opponents.

The former Vice President of The Gambia said that the political discourse should be focused on issues that addresses the country’s problems and not on trivial matters of personalities.

“We want to make sure that our discussions are issues driven and those of you who use social media platforms, please sell the agenda of the UDP decently.

“I am very hopeful that the newly launched chapter will certainly be very active in the recruitment of membership and fundraising for the party, because the party needs funding to ensure the successful running of its affairs back home,” he observed.

Tombong Saidy, a member of the UDP’s executive committee, represented the party at the event and thanked the supporters in Wisconsin. He urged them to be steadfast and loyal to the party.

Lamin Keita, chairman of the UDP Wisconsin Chapter, said there is no cause for pride in what has happened in Gambia.

“There is no cause for self-satisfaction in the long denial of equal rights of thousands of Gambians. But there is cause for hope and faith in our democracy in what is happening here tonight.

“For the cries of pain and the suffering and protests of oppressed people have summoned and say never again.

“There is no tribal, ethnic or regional problem…There is only a Gambian problem which we should all fix together,” he said.