Sidia: “Hamat Is A National Candidate”

United Front leader Hamat Bah

Veteran Gambian politician, Sidia Jatta has said that the independent presidential candidate in the upcoming Nov.24 president elections, Hamat Bah is a national candidate.
Mr Jatta, whose party, opposition-NADD is backing Hamat’s candidature alongside three other parties – NRP, GPDP and NADD reasoned that Mr Bah is a national candidate because he is elected by all the 7 regions of this country through a convention.

Sidia had led the opposition PDOIS in two presidential races in 1996 and 2001 in the second republic, but his party joined the disintegrated alliance of opposition parties called NADD in 2006. He is the only NADD National Assembly member. 
“When power is entrusted to the United Front, we would build factories to make use of the groundnut, tomato, mango and other produce that are wasted in the country,” Mr Jatta told a mass political rally on Saturday at the Ebony Street in Serrekunda.
He went on: “Every year D4, 850 billion is collected to the national budget. The APRC has been in power for 17 years. Multiple D4, 850 billion by 17 years and think of what the APRC has done for this country.
“61 percent of the population is living in abject poverty and unemployment is seriously affecting the youth of the country. All the projects of the APRC government for the past 17 years are based on loans or charity.
According to Jatta, nothing is more painful than to be born in a country where your parents are born and you don’t know any place than that country but you are voiceless. He said the time has come for the APRC government to account for their 17 years rule, as to whether or not our taxes have been spent to improve lives. He said every child born in this country is indebted. He said the amount of poverty in this country is increasing.