The leader of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mamma Kandeh, has told delegates at the party congress on Sunday in Basse, Upper River Region that GDC was formed to fight tribalism in The Gambia.

“The GDC came to trample down tribalism and champion peace in our homeland. As we came to champion peace, we envisage to have a happy nation and a high standard of effective governance. The party was built to foster a culture of respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms with a highly skilled and motivated workforce,” he told his cheering supporters.

Kandeh said that the GDC as a young political party was already known for its advocacy of “One Gambia and One Nation Agenda”, adding that their fundamental desire was to ensure a better Gambia for all.

“When voted in office, the party will bring the required socio-economic development and accelerate the transformation of the nation,” Kandeh said.

“The party is focusing on building a strong democratic foundation that allows popular and multi-party contest for power thus enabling the people to have and to make choice of their leadership,” he added.

Kandeh stated that the Barrow government must create job opportunities for the youth to address the high unemployment rate with the view of addressing irregular migration and other social ills.

“Sixty percent of Gambians voted for change in the 2016 presidential election and the messages they sent to those responsible for the affairs of the country was very clear: empower the masses and also take the concerns of the citizens with seriousness in order to strengthen institutions that would promote good governance. All decisions or policies should be made in the interest of the masses rather than in the interest of the few,” Kandeh said.