Halifa Sallah, the Secretary General of PDOIS, says the Coalition alliance is a thing of the past adding that the agreement of the political parties were set aside once President Barrow was sworn in.

Sallah made this revelation during a press conference on Sunday to set out PDOIS policies in dealing with the many challenges The Gambia is grappling with.

“The shortcoming is that when President Barrow started to form his cabinet he did the appointment alone. The Coalition should have actually been the one examining that to ensure that they had a voice in the cabinet appointments as well as dismissals. That was never sought and it was never given.

“And therefore the president became an executive president that could appoint and remove (anyone) at will. What exist today is an executive president. Whether he will serve a three-year or a five-year term is entirely left to him. Because already you can see that the Coalition is there but in the past and not in the present.”

Sallah said PDOIS’ reason for joining the opposition Coalition was to effect regime change and establish institutions that will usher in the much needed system change. He said the party stayed through to its commitment to the Coalition during the impasse and fought to ensure a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.

“For PDOIS that was our achievement. We effected regime change and now it was President Barrow’s responsibility to exercise direction and control over an executive and prepare the ground for the type of policies and institutions that would effect what the Coalition aspired for -an inclusive Gambia, a transparent Gambia, an accountable Gambia where institutions would serve the people with devotion and structures would be put in place. So that in the future whoever inherits the institutions would be able to build the type of Gambia that everyone aspires for.

“We expected a transition where a new constitution will emerge to empower the citizens, ensure the accountability of the elected representatives to the population and then services are delivered to address the needs and aspirations of the people effectively and efficiently. What is important is that we wanted to achieve that by remaining together and have National Assembly independence, local government independence, so that ultimately we will work in unison to build that new Gambia that would serve as the platform for system change.

“The system change would have eradicated self perpetuating rule, ensure civic awareness, so that we would be able to move to another change where free and fair election would be held on a level playing ground in order to contest and build the type of Gambia we all aspire for.

“The level ground that the Gambia opposition for electoral reforms have sought for from Jammeh became illusive after regime change. During the National Assembly and local government elections, political parties sought there resources wherever they could find it. And the executive president decided to favour whoever he wanted to and ultimately we have a country that has gone back to the same political level it was where there is an unlevel ground for multiparty political contest.”

Sallah added that PDOIS had achieved its long cherished aim of giving back sovereignty to the Gambian people. The dream which started in 1986 was finally achieved in the December 2016 elections.

“Now Gambia is in your hands – the people. You do whatever you want of it. Whatever it becomes it’s in your hands.”