(JollofNews) – President Adama Barrow of the Gambia is embarking on an 11-day nationwide tour to thank voters for taking a chance on him in last December’s election.
Mr Barrow who led a coalition of opposition parties was sworn-in last month after he defeated the country’s former long-term ruler, Yahya Jammeh.
A statement from the Office of the President said Mr Barrow will use the tour to familiarise himself with the political situation in the run-up to next month’s parliamentary election.
As part of the tour, the president will hold 36 general meetings in the seven regions of the Gambia during which he will call on the electorate to vote for Coalition candidates in the parliamentary election.
Mr Barrow believes that having a majority in parliament will enable his government to implement its transition policies and programmes to effect the change Gambians have voted for during the December 2016 presidential election.
A positive beginning/
For The Gambia our homeland
Bravo Mr President
Bravo for The Gambia
Nationwide tour to what end. The damage of the last 22 years will take significant effort and dedication to task to properly address and fix, in the best hands. We don’t need a horse and pony show Mr President. Sit down a get to work. For starters
the economy, education, infrastructure to name a few. Politicking across the country is not a solution. Not now, not for The Gambia. Get serious !
Big mistake! Biggest mistake ever , as it will come back to to hunt! And remember where you first read it! Why?
First, the International community has never learnt to deal with people who, rightly or wrongly, have, or perceived to have changed their mind [strategy] mid-stream in favour of tactics! – “my word (expressed, or implied) is my bond” is what keeps that communities goodwill ticking. Witness the US $ betting stronger, just because Trump has kept his words, no matter how unpopular! And investors queuing to put their money into Tanzania, simple because they perceive its president as a man of his words!
When it comes to investment dollars it would seem perception is everything!
Second, seesawing between independent and political party politics can make a captive of any President in the sense that any future policies, no matter how neutral they are in reality, can only seen as if divisive and merely helping the, in this case, the UDP course. And rightly, or wrongly, implementation of seemingly partisan policies do suffer in direct proportion to people’s perceptions of where the real benefits will lie. For example, even though the prices paid to the farmers for groundnut production were higher in nominal Dalasis under that Jammeh era than they were under the DK Jawara era, nonetheless, production volumes were more that 50% less under Jammeh than under Jawara. why? Part of the problem was that the people did not perceive the policy as genuinely directed towards lifting them from poverty, but rather as incentivising them in worthless dalasis to work harder to earn the country needed foreign exchange which only benefits Jammeh and his cronies. So, even without university training in international economics, the farmers were able to see that the whole scheme was self serving coming from Jammeh and they would in fact be better off selling their produce across the border in CFA which was judged by the international community as more valuable and stable, based primarily on confidence in the leadership to to follow through with its promise of reform in both Senegal and Tanzania. My point of course is that farmers – including UDP voters- will have no hesitation of selling their produce across the border into senegal, if their perception of Barrow turns, as is likely to, “oh here he comes at election time. They always do come at election time, and “will promise this and that and the other, but when the time comes, will favour his own personal interest, and pocket anyway! This is the silent majority who, in the case of the Gambia live in chronic poverty, and whose voices are always drown by the loud minority who expect to use their political clout to score relatively big by association. It was the former, and not the latter that worked progressively hard over 22 years to get rid of Jammeh!
They also swelled the ranks of those who with their 5 sacks of groundnuts at a time, gave the CFA its strength and stability relative to the Dalasi in protest against what they PERCEIVED was a self serving government – thus 5 sacks of groundnuts at a time, the Gambia’s export volume fell by more than half, in fact by about 90% in volume – little wonder then the Dalasi fell from between 2 and 5 to the Dollar Pre-Jammeh to between 30 and 40 during and post-Jammeh.
Listen to the people/ Get opinions and local knowledge and form realistic policies.
The President must take the people with him on this journey to the coming economic miricle> This is the right move///
It’s a constitutional requirement for the President to embark on a familiarisation tour (whatever they call it: “Meet the farmers tour under DK Jawara; Dialogue with the farmers under Jammeh”), but the timing is worrying. It is coming at a time when the country is gearing for one of the most important parliamentary elections in our history. It is impossible for the president to concentrate on the needs of the local communities, which is the whole purpose of the tour, at a time when the communities are occupied with, and gripped by, NA Elections fever. This tour could have been delayed until after the elections. We can only hope that the president stays away from party politics. He mustn’t allow himself to be used by any party because he is an all party president. All eyes are on him.
Bax, the tour has always been use for politics and this one is no different. The President does not have to involve in party politics for it to be a political campaign. The symbolism of his presence in the various communities will be enough for candidates who belong to the parties that form a coalition to elect him. All that the candidates have to is stay away from his meetings then have their own campaign meeting immediately after him and tell the voters that if they want the president to be able to deliver his promises then let them not vote for APRC and GDC. They just have to ride on his coattails.
Absolutely right. Unfortunately, it’s the reality. It’s increasingly looking like the same old system, without the killing machine.
Why Is Adama Barrow of UDP Traveling Around the Gambia At This Time? Politics or “Meeting the People”?
UDP’S Adama Barrow, and their Supporters are at it Again. If is not the Unsustainable lies and misinformation about Adama Barrow’s Real Reason for traveling in Arround the Country, it is the Unfounded and Unrestrained Lies Against the JOLA and other Ethnic Groups’ Leaders. It is Downright Dangerous, Irresponsible and Unethical to make Broad Generalizations you seem to be energized by. There are many Malians and Guinea Bissau Citizens in the Gambia even now. Would it be Valid to allege that the Mandinka are “a majority” in the Gambia because of the Malinke from Mali and are Not Citizens, who are by definition Mandinka and are going to be Voting for the UDP? Now that I think about it, May be? What about the Guinea Bissau Citizens? A case can be made that, the Reason why the UDP’S Ousainou Darbo and Mai Fatty as well as Adama Barrow Appointed a Manjako to the Current Regime’s Cabinet, is a Cynical and Opportunistic Play for the Manjako Votes, especially for allegedly infusing Non Gambian Citizen Manjako from Guinea Bissau to Cross over into the Gambia to Vote for UDP. Given the current Subservience and Unprecedented Compliance of the Gambia under Ousainou Darbo, Mai Fatty and Adama Barrow to Macky Sall and Senegal’s Political, Military and Economic Interest Under which Gambia is definitely a Junior Partner, Senegal would be an Accomplish to such a Scenario by facilitating such. It is Not far fetched to postulate this taking place during this NAMs Elections. The other Party Leaders and their Supporters Need to insist on having the Voter Rolls and IDs Checked and Cross Referenced to Weed out any Sudden Swelling of Voters in the North Bank, Upper and Lower River Constituancies. Infact, at the moment, the most Probable cause for concern is that of Malians and Guinea Bissau Citizens being Smuggled in to the Gambia following the DEPARTURE OF THE JAMMEH AND THE CURRENT UDP REGIME COMING IN TO POWER TO VOTE UDP ON ELECTIONS DAY IN APRIL 2017. You see Buba Sanyang, Maxs, and Natty Dread, your Obsession with the JOLA and Hon. Halifa Sallah is a Two EDGED SWORD. IT CUTS BOTH WAYS. APRC, PDOIS, PPP, Hamat Bah and Mama Kandeh’s Parties Should bring these Potential of Voter Fraud by Proxy of Malians and Guinea Bissau Citizens for UDP to the IEC’s Attention. They should also DEMAND TO EXAMINE THE VOTER ROLLS FOR ANY ANOMALIES IN THE ROLLS. Malians and Guinea Bissau Citizens are an Honorable People. However, when you are exposed to certain people, you can’t but be infected with the Manipulative and Unethical Behavior bug. Gambians be Aware. The Non-UDP Parties be Aware. The UDP Trio would not STOP at nothing to Usurp any Honest and Ethical Political Process in the Gambia. They have PROVEN it time and time again. Together, the Gambia and Gambians can Stop them on their Tracks before they Destroy the gains in infrastructure Gambia has achieved. Let’s build in that. UDP IS ABOUT “WE AGAINST ALL GAMBIANS, BECAUSE WE ARE THE MAJORITY”. LET US BE ABOUT, “TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER AND MORE PROSPEROUS”! Gambia is More than the Sum Total of One Ethnic Group and Region. One Gambia, One People, One Destiny.
President Barrow came across as a man who would not be pushed around, when answering questions In France at his Press conference. His mission to get aid from Europe, would have been advanced by the mention of the Chinese refurbing The State House/ I thought that was very clever. The Chinese have made great gains in Africa. They don’t meddle in local politics/ deliver structures to host nations
{ many of them free} whilst digging big holes in the ground and buying land for agriculture/ for home export.
The West on the other hand attach aid to our shared values/as one commentator today suggested the “Invisible hegemony” I think by indicating a rejoining of The Commonwealth and International Court/Mr Barrow may have a leaning towards the West. But if he does not get what he needs from us, he has another ace up his sleeve.I do not think the NA elections are so high up on his agenda. He indicated he has a job to do and perhaps 5 years may not be out of the question/
His visit around the country would only favour The Presidency,{ not any party} possibly indication of long term ambition?
For The Minister for Information to first commend the online media and then welcome critic is another indication that This Presidency is canvassing support and is beginning to make all the right moves. This coming from The Gambia’s most respected Journalist.
I can only speak for me/ But Barrow is very impressive so far and I also think this his his portfolio and no one else’s.
Its all good/// lets cut him some slack.
“dr” Isatou Sarr,
Is this the time to tell your half-educated “president” to stop the horse-riding and settle to essential state matters instead of politicking? The kick and roll “president” whose line of action depend on third parties from the bitty “coalition” and Senegal bears no mandate and mantel to do that. He is the puppet of his colleagues because he is inept, incompetent and undecisive. What decision can he make without the ultimate voices of Mai Fatty, Ousainou Darbo and Fatumatta Tambajang? This inefficient boy cannot govern our country. He’s just unqualified. It’s the collective error of the people to vote for his “coalition” analogous to the British “Brexit” error votes.
Ask him to address matters of importance from the good President Jammeh left behind.