The People's Progressive Party (PPP) on Thursday 16 May celebrated 100th birthday of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara to reflect on the achievements of the former president of The Gambia and party leader of PPP.
As part of his 100th birthday celebration, the PPP executive organised a press conference to highlight the legacy of the party and its founding fathers.
Kebba Jallow, the secretary general and leader of People's Progressive Party (PPP), said Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara's journey to the presidency was not only a testament to his remarkable leadership qualities but also to the enduring spirit of the PPP, which he helped establish as the dominant political force in the country.
According to him, under the banner of the PPP, Sir Dawda galvanised support from all corners of society, leading to his historic election as the first president of The Gambia.
"Throughout his tenure, Sir Dawda exemplified the core values of the PPP, inclusivity, social justice and economic progress," he said, adding that during his time as president, DK Jawara worked tirelessly to build a nation where every citizen had the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
He said Jawara's dedication to democratic principles and commitment to serving the people of The Gambia earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow citizens and the international community at large.
Dawda Kairaba Jawara Jr, the first son of the late Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, said his father's legacy as the secretary general reads that he was there to "inspire us all" and "you cannot really talk about his legacy without thinking about PPP; it's a foundational institution of this country."
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"I want to go into details but the fact that we are all cited as Gambians and have much to do with the vision of the PPP; that leads us to independence and that brought us republican status in 1970 and some of the achievements of the country have been amplified today and in recent days," he pointed out.
He affirmed that his late father had chaired the OIC peace committee which brought to an end the Iran and Iraq conflict and its quite remarkable for Gambia being a small country for being charged with that responsibility. Few years later, as chairman of ECOWAS, he helped end the Liberian crisis.
Mr. Jawara said the party had limited impact over a period of 30 years since 1994 with many of its senior members exiled. The party's action had been banned for 10 years and it's still under surveillance. So this is some of the factors that explained why the party has seen some level of decline. ,
"I think it's an opportunity maybe to revive the party so that it can once again be a first for good in our country," he suggested.
He indicated that PPP is a party that is founded with principles of equality and that is something "I really liked to emphasise."
Utman Jeng, the director of press and public relations, said it is part of the party's plans to commemorate the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara legacy and the People's Progressive Party (PPP) through public lectures.
He added that they would also engage with educational stakeholders to include Sir Dawda's legacy into the educational curriculum for the well-being of the students and the country at large.
