By D. Baldeh Gainako Associate Editor
The leader of the main opposition party in the Gambia the United Democratic Party (UDP) has said that signs of political change are clearly visible in the Gambia. Mr. Darboe was the guest speaker at a political event in Seattle organized by UDP militants on Friday September 13th, 2013 where all Gambians were openly invited. Mr. Darboe opened his speech with message of condolence to the family and friends of the late Saidou Ndow who passed away in Atlanta Georgia on Thursday September 12, 2013. He extended his message to the Gambian community in Atlanta.
Commenting on the political situation in the Gambia Mr. Darboe said what is happening in the country is unprecedented and that there are visible signs of inevitable political change in the Gambia. He wasted no time in going after President Jammeh and his APRC Party saying that the APRC party is not ruling the Gambia, rather there is only one man ruling the country and that is Yahya Jammeh. He added that the decisions that Jammeh makes as a President are simply callous and at best irresponsible.
Commenting on the economic situation in the Gambia, Mr. Darboe said the instability and government interference with the currency market has created uncertainty in the Gambian business community and the economy in general. He gave a brief history of stability of Gambian foreign exchange and currency in the Gambian. He cited Gambia’s Economic Recovery Program (ERP) initiated by the government of Sir Dawda Jawara where the government made it a standing policy to encourage a free market economy which enabled the currency exchange to work itself out until it became stable. Darboe underscored the economic significance of a stable currency emphasizing that Gambians in the Diaspora are doing well sending their dollars home but that government’s inference is hindering the economic benefit that the influx of foreign currency is supposed to have on our economy.
Agriculture as Pulse of the Gambian economy
To back his assertions that Jammeh has monopolized everything in Gambia, Darboe made particular reference to the Agricultural industry in the Gambia. He said “Agriculture is the pulse of the country” as it is one of the largest industries that allows our country to earn foreign exchange through exports of our agricultural produce. In commenting on President Jammeh’s leadership, Mr. Darboe said what Gambians have as a leader is “Not a President but a businessman”. He said Yahya Jammeh has localized everything into his personal fortune forcing Gambians to become slave farmers on his farms. “Even Imams are forced to farm for President Jammeh”, Darboe added.
In explaining how Jammeh injects himself into owning these institutions, Mr. Darboe cited one example where President Jammeh took away the Agriculture Ministry portfolio which has been under the Vice President’s office and brought it under him mainly so he can have direct access to the recent Japanese government’s two billion Dalasis, (2 Billion) donation to the Gambia consisting mainly of Rice and Fertilizer. Darboe alleged Jammeh used those fertilizers on his own farms and used the remaining bags of fertilizer and hundreds of bags of rice to distribute to farmers as his own personal Ramadan gift.
President Jammeh has managed to destroy all business facilities in the Gambian and turned them into his personal businesses. From banning chicken imports to owning GRTS cameras, Darboe said Jammeh is personalizing everything. He revealed that the President is about to launch a new TV Station he will name ‘Maligan Station’ (meaning Truth in his native Jola language). Darboe said he doesn’t understand how President Jammeh make so many irrational decisions which he attributes to Jammeh’s lack of good judgment. “How can you appoint somebody as a minister, fire them and two months later rehire them again” He rhetorically asked what happened to Jammeh’s promise that whoever he fires he made sure that the Gambian people know what the person did. Darboe linked this rampant hiring and firing to the instability of the Gambian civil service. He said every leader has their own ideas and style of leadership, so if leadership positions are instable government operations become stagnant. To be continued