By: Ousman A. Marong & Ebrima Fadera
Former Kanifing Municipal Council Mayor and UNIT flagbearer Talib Ahmed Bensouda has rejected concerns that the government’s white paper could affect his eligibility to contest the December 5 presidential election, saying there are no legal grounds to disqualify him.
Bensouda said he was confident his candidacy was not at risk and expected the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to meet its constitutional obligations by including his name on the ballot box.
“My candidacy is not a threat at all by the government white paper. I am in no way disqualified and, God willing, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will do the needful and have me on the ballot box,” he said.
He said The Gambia is a democratic country governed by the rule of law and argued that there was no legitimate basis to stop him from contesting the election.
“I have no doubt about my candidacy. This country is a nation of laws and it is a democratic nation. It is not possible to disqualify me; there are no bases,” Bensouda stated.
The UNIT flagbearer also outlined his party’s proposed governance reforms, including a commitment to separate the Office of the Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice.
Talib, said the proposed structure would allow the Attorney General’s Office to operate independently, without political influence.
Under the plan, the office would no longer be held by a political appointee. Instead, it would focus on ensuring that justice is administered without fear or favour.
The former Kaninfing Moyor also said UNIT had drawn up a 66-point agenda to transform the country, with tackling poverty among its main priorities.
When asked whether his government would implement the recommendations of both the Janneh Commission and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), Bensouda he said he would.
But he argued that delivering justice should not rest personally on the president. Instead, he said, it should be the responsibility of independent institutions, free from political interference.
“That would not be my work as president. I would ensure that the Attorney General’s Office is not a political appointee, and they will do what is necessary to ensure that there is justice,” he remarked.
The former mayor also said UNIT’s 66-point development agenda was achievable, assuring Gambians that the proposals in the party’s manifesto could be delivered.
If elected, he said, his administration would work to bring about the promised transformation by 2030, when The Gambia marks 66 years of independence.
Bensouda recently resigned as Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council to prepare to contest the much-anticipated December 5 presidential election.
His departure from the council was an emotional one, with some council members, women and party supporters reportedly in tears as they said goodbye.
The resignation marked a major shift from municipal leadership to the national political stage, as he prepares to lead UNIT into the presidential ring..