By Arret Jatta
In a statement read on his behalf by Minister Baboucarr Boye, President Adama Barrow called on all political parties to join in national development through meaningful dialogue.
Addressing the Second National Dialogue yesterday, the president said: “The National People’s Party, under my leadership, has again demonstrated that different political parties can work together in the same government in the interest of our parties and the people to develop this nation.”
He said no differences in beliefs, ideologies, philosophies, world outlook, ethnicity, educational background or orientation stopped them from working in solidarity for the nation.
“In this spirit, I invite all political parties and Gambians to join us for national development purposes. No individual or single party can stay in power forever. Working together, we can ensure a smooth transition of government from generation to generation without any hostility, civil war, bloodshed or military takeover,” he exhorted.
He emphasised the importance of dialogue saying: “There is no issue we cannot discuss, no circumstance that prohibits us from dialoguing and no legal reason stopping us from living peacefully in the country we all call home. We operate through national plans, policies, projects, programmes, institutions, procedures, laws and regulations. All these are big enough to accommodate all of us and they belong to no one, just as the nation belongs to no one.”
Dialogue, he added, “is a principle that embodies involvement, participation, consultation and discussions; dialogue reminds us that democracy is not about the interest of the majority but about the majority working with or on behalf of the minority in the interest of both parties,” he highlighted.
Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta noted that the theme of this year’s dialogue, “Marching In Solidarity For Self-Reliance and National Development”, holds profound significance.
“As we therefore dialogue among ourselves on this crucial theme, let all Gambians be reminded that democracy requires the ability of our elected representatives to exercise decision-making power subject to the rule of law, moderated by a constitution that emphasises the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals and which places constraints on leaders on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of the minorities,” he added.
