In a country where peaceful gathering of crowds has become somewhat anaphylactic to a regime that jitters about either the gadfly ‘Three Years Jotna’ or any other perceived stir against its hopes for a five-year tenure, the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has its leader abroad, on a European tour of engaging Gambians. Months prior, the party’s welcoming of Mr. Ousainou Darboe witnessed a festive multitude, not bereft of spectacular pomp and fanfare, including burning of t-shirts bearing images of the antithetical Adama Barrow. forGambia News, in Sunday’s exclusive spoke to Mr. Almamy Fanding Taal, UDP’s spokesperson who puts things to both context and perspective. Here are some vignettes of Mr. Taal, unabridged:

“Well, the main point is that our experience has [ it] that whenever it’s a convoy of the UDP or there is a home coming of the party leader, we don’t need permit from or we don’t need any license to do that. We hope to welcome him the best way we seem fit. Politically, if people have issues with that, well it’s their problem. We cannot definitely spend any minute thinking about what they think about.

So, when he’s coming the militants of the party and the supporters of the party will go welcome him as they see it fit. I mean, it’s a democratic country. I don’t even think how that can be an issue for [in audible]. There is no expectation whatsoever that there would be any issue with that regard.

For me I really don’t want to go down the road of speculating or coming with hypothetical situations, because really whether there’s tension in the country or whether government is jittery, really, we don’t have any interest or desire to speak to anybody’s state of mind. What we know is we have this tour planned since the leader came back from Seattle.

This has been in the works for a very long time. Before we had an executive meeting. He uses his calendar. This time around he’s going with Ebrima Dibba and Ndey Ceesay. Even outside there he’s well-received and he’s warmly welcomed by the party militants.

So really, I don’t see any scenario where even when he comes out, there would be a counter effort or movement to dilute the genuine support because this is not something that anybody is paid to go and do or there is any formal organization to welcome the party leader and it has happened so far without any incident. We’re not expecting anything. We’re not in confrontation with anybody. It’s not like there is going to be a political statement or anything like that.”

Recent Protests in Brikama & Serrekunda

“Those are Gambians demonstrating over issues that they claim that somebody was arrested by the police and was tortured and subsequently died from his wounds. We’ve had these people wanting to occupy the Brikama Area Council and things like that. That is quite different from a political party being welcomed because if at all we need a permit we will seek it.”

T-Shirt Burning During Darboe’s Last welcoming from Airport

“Mr. Colley, if I take my T-shirt and decide to burn it any day, I mean I don’t even know how this is news-worthy. I’m burning my private property whether it’s a flag or this or that. For us, it was a no event. It was individuals doing their own thing and, you know, it’s a free country. Let people do what they want as long as it doesn’t have to infringe on other people’s rights.

Going through this hypothetical route [of anticipating a clash] I don’t know who it benefits because what happened with these people burning their t-shirts privately, of course if you put it on social media, it has a life of its own. But most of the things that are out there or put together has absolutely no connection or relevance to the activities of the party or the lives of ordinary citizens here.

So really our focus is to hope that the rest of the trip of the party leader and his delegation is as successful as has begun and there is absolutely no doubt that when he comes back he’s going to receive the kind of welcome that the party believes he deserves to receive and any eventuality that arises as a result of that also, we will be able to deal with it at the spot and on the ground. Really, we don’t have time for these kinds of misadventures. People who really don’t know what their political philosophy or activism is about, we cannot spend any time speculating this way or that way, really.

For us we have lived through a very brutal dictatorship. We have bled and suffered considerably. In fact, all Gambians have. Now that we are in a new dispensation, it is our expectation that all Gambians will find the time and the platform to reflect on the kind of country that they want to build or what they want to pass on to their children because in in a democratic country, wherever you go in the world, it’s the majority who will have a leadership role.

 Whenever we’re manifesting our numbers, whenever we’re receiving our leader, or taking any activity, everybody should see it as a joyous occasion. What we have been fighting for over  the last twenty-five years or so has finally come home because this has nothing to do with any other activity other than celebrating the man who has dedicated his entire life to developing a culture of tolerance, peace and respect for the rule of law and all the other democratic ideals. I really cannot emphasize the importance the party [in audible].”

Diaspora Gambians, Universal Adult Suffrage

 “It is time the contribution of the diaspora, particularly, is written into the books of this country. There has been a strategy for the diaspora. But automatically anybody with a Gambian passport and the right age should automatically be registered with all our embassies so that we exactly know the numbers, so we know exactly the arrangements that need to be put in place before the elections. Hopefully we will referendum on the coming constitution.

 I think every Gambian who’s not in the Gambia has a right to his say one way or the other. So really, I really think it should be about taking responsibility to make sure that the diaspora is enfranchised and their contribution is acknowledged and really, it should be a moment for celebrating that a party leader has moved around because I saw other party leaders are also going to go out  there to see their members and their militants. I really think it should be a time for rejoicing and for celebrating.”