The United Democratic Party (UDP) has distanced itself from the previous statement of its leader, Ousainou Darboe, who had threatened to legally challenge anyone forcing the Coalition three year mandate on President Adama Barrow.

Darboe had said in 2016 shortly after joining the Coalition that he was ready to take anyone to the Supreme Court who tries to force President Adama Barrow to abide by the Coalition three year transitional agreement arguing that it was unconstitutional.

However after falling out with President Barrow, it seems the party is changing its tune somewhat. The UDP is now the main opposition party to the Barrow government.   

The party spokesman Almamy Fanding Taal said that statement was “Mr Darboe’s personal view as a constitutional lawyer but it did not in any way reflect the position of the UDP.”

Taal said the party has not yet made a definitive position on supporting the three years MOU agreement or the five years constitutional mandate for President Adama Barrow.

“The UDP’s position remains the same as the agreement between the members back in 2016. But as you may know and as we speak, discussions are on this very matter, but it is not correct to say that UDP has now said five years or three years,” Taal told the Standard newspaper.

Taal would not confirm or deny a change of heart, only saying that talks are on-going and he would not pre-empt the outcome.

However the leader of the party, Ousainou Darboe, had recently confirmed that his UDP party was no longer part of the Barrow led Coalition. He told Kerr Fatou in an interview on Sunday that the sacking of UDP officials from the government meant his party will no longer be supporting the Barrow led Coalition government.