The Bulock Kapongha Youth Development Association (BKYDA) on Saturday, 12th March 2022, organized the first-ever District Parliamentary debate that brought together youth and women organizations, district authorities, political parties and school-going children of Grades 10-12, geared towards promoting unity, political tolerance and peace in the area.
The Association’s Secretary General (SG) Mr. Sarjo Jarju, in his opening remarks, thanked the executive committee and the entire BKYDA membership for working tirelessly to stage that important debate. He also thanked the panelists, the contestants and the district authorities as well as everyone who came to witness it.
According to a BKYDA press statement, the management and members of BKYDA are grateful for the huge turnout, noting it’s a manifestation that the initiative “is well appreciated by the people of the district”.
The contestants for the debate, as the statement indicated, should have been three aspiring parliamentary candidates, namely Salieu Barry, Independent Candidate, Ebou Kolley of Alliance for Patriotic, Reconciliation and Construction (APRC), and Amie Colley- an Independent Candidate. Unfortunately, Ms. Colley withdrew in the last minutes of the process, due to reasons best known to herself and her committee, the press release disclosed, albeit, that did not stop the activity as the debate ended between the two candidates–Barry and Kolley. “We, the available two, will go ahead with the debate,” one of the debaters was quoted as saying.
Noting that the debate was in two parts, the Association explained in the press release, that in part one, there was an independent panel responsible for questioning, and there were 15 questions that were shared with the debating candidates three days before the event. And it added that “those were the same questions” the panelists posed to the two candidates. The first question was said to be about the biography of each of the candidates, with a 10-minute time limit, followed by other questions and answers (Q&A) sessions with a 2-minute time limit.
Part two of the event gave the audience the opportunity to ask questions on the policies and programmes of the aspiring candidates; and the final part, which is described in the press release as “one of the most interesting parts”, availed the gathered electorate of the district and, most especially the students, the opportunity to ask pertinent questions such as: if one of them is voted in (to the National Assembly) would they consider bringing back the draft constitution; on whether they pressurize the government to act on TRRC recommendations. Questions about bringing back the Anti-Corruption Bill (to parliament) and many other pressing issues relating to parliament and district at large, were raised.
However, the statement pointed out that the “most significant outcome about the debate, is reconciling the political leaders who were battling for so long since the break-up of APRC into two sections, and the 2016 fall of former President Yaya Jammeh from power, which they noted, “brought division and violence among the district”.
“But with all the problems, the debate was able to bring our contestants together as one family, and made the contestants and supporters understand the importance of unity as this is the only way to develop our district; as the saying goes, “unity is strength”.
Speaking to the media, a youth leader of Somita Village, Mr. Ismaila Camara, applauded the organizers for this great initiative, noting it had already paid dividends in having a choice of candidacy. Several youth leaders from Foni Ndemban, Sutusinjang and Besse communities alluded to similar convictions, as some of them said they were “jealous and they want to replicate a similar activity in their respective communities”.
Closing the debate ceremony, the BKYDA President, Mr. Ismaila Jammeh, commended everyone for attending the event, while encouraging the youths to convene more of such events, for the betterment of the district, region and The Gambia at large. He saluted the panelists for doing justice to the assignment, and also the contestants for showing up and answering the questions. “Thank you, everyone. God bless you all,” BKYDA President Jammeh concluded.
