By Omar Bah
Papa Faal, a grandson of former president Sir Dawda Jawara, has officially announced his intention to run as an independent presidential candidate in 2021.
Faal, a former US soldier, is best known for his 30 December 2014 attack on the State House. He announced Saturday in Brikama his ticket ‘Papa Faal – 4 – 2021′ with a manifesto highlighting issues including citizen reorientation, welfare and corruption.
“Gambians should wake up and together fight to build this country because it is time to rescue this country which does nothing but take loans. Our debt to GDP is about D30 billion, meaning every Gambian is owing D25, 000 of debt. If the government tells you they want to build roads, ask them where they are going to get the money. They have sold our country,” he said.
Faal, who served in the US military for ten years, said Gambians should always demand good service from the government, adding that there is no reason for any Gambian to go hungry or without medical service.
“It is only in The Gambia that you will go to a hospital and a doctor tells you your blood or water is finished. How will you be alive when your blood or water is finished? When elected, my government will ensure the country has a very strong and effective medical system,” he said.
He said his government will come up with very tough punishment for people found wanting of corruption.
“The idea of stealing public funds and thinking you will just go to jail for two years will be a thing of the past,” he said.
According to Faal’s manifesto, raping infants and girls is considered a treasonable act punishable by castration.
Faal also plans to swiftly implement a national service policy that will create the National Service Corp and induct all Gambian citizens between ages 15 and 30 for a two-year mandatory national service to instill discipline, pride and nationalism.
The National Service Corp, according to Faal’s team, will comprise a citizens’ defense force, science and technology, research and development, civil engineering corp, fire and rescue corp, teachers corp, medical Service corp, agri-corp, automative corp and non-specialised technical and services corp.
