Barrow Kunda delegation meets President-Elect

By Omar Bah A high power delegation from the community of Barrow Kunda in Wuli West District, Upper River Region on Wednesday 4th January 2017 paid a courtesy call on President-elect Adama Barrow at his office located at Kairaba Beach Hotel. Speaking at the meeting, President-elect Adama Barrow thanked the delegation for the visit and said that Gambians should thank God for the democratic change of government witnessed in 2016. According to him, the Coalition’s victory was as a result of the collective efforts of the Gambian people after realizing that strength lies in unity. He thanked the people of Wuli and Barrow Kunda in particular for the visit and their show of support to the Coalition. He said that the 2016 election was very free and fair as all parties had their agents at polling stations and the counting was done on the spot. President-elect added as early as 1:00am all parties including the Coalition and APRC knew the results even before IEC declared the results. He recalled a telephone conversation he had with the Interior minister informing him that President Jammeh was going to call him. “Afterwards, I received a call from President Jammeh congratulating me on my victory and accepted defeat and said he believes in God and had Tawheed with Quran in his hands,” he recalled the famous telephone conversation. Barrow pointed out that in their telephone conversation President Jammeh further told him that it’s God who gave him the post on a Friday and it’s the same God who had ended his presidency on a Friday. He further narrated that President Jammeh also told him that Gambia’s election is rig-proof and very transparent. “In my reply to Jammeh, I told him that I was also born on a Friday and I happened to win the presidency on a Friday,” Barrow said. One week later, he went to the TV to say he rejected the results and nullified the election but in our response we told him that as president he has right to reject the result but has no right to annul it. President-elect also told the delegation that the Coalition government would ensure that the government fears the people who elected them into office and not the opposite. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Nfamara Jawneh of Barrow Kunda said they were at President-elect’s office to congratulate him on his resounding victory. “We are also here to reaffirm our unflinching support to you and the Coalition as you know Wuli and Barrow Kunda in particular has always been an opposition stronghold,” he said. He also brought to the attention of President-elect some of the development needs of their community such as poor road network. “Our brothers in the Diaspora have also asked us to extend their congratulatory message to you. They were also very supportive to the Coalition through their financial contributions and moral support,” Jawneh reported. The delegation includes elders, women and youth and the meeting was also graced by Dr.Isatou Touray of the Coalition.]]>