By Amadou Jadama
Human rights lawyer Assan Martin, has called on Gambians to rally behind the national development agenda of President Adama Barrow, and allow him to complete his five-year term, thumbing down the idea of a three-year term as unrealistic.
Martin who put his hat in the fray in last year’s mayoral election for the Kanifing municipality before pulling out, nonetheless advised President Barrow “to work with the right people with the right policies”.
He told The Standard in an exclusive over the weekend: “In the best interest of our democracy, let us allow President Barrow to continue to go for five years. Things have become fragile, so I don’t think three years can help us, and in fact three years cannot be realised because the duration is very short and elections are very expensive and the logistics are not there.
“I am calling on Gambians to support the transitional government and we go for five years. The coalition itself failed and the MoU is dead in the water. So the best thing for Gambians is to support the development agenda of President Barrow, and allow him to complete his five years.
“People are saying that by December they will go out to protest for President Barrow to step down. I am urging them to calm down. We need a stable democracy and a peaceful Gambia. We don’t need anybody to engage in anything that would foment violence in the country. President Barrow is our leader we need to support him and move the country forwards despite our [different] political affiliations.
“President Barrow is an independent president, he should make sure that he gets the right people with the right policies in place that can move the country forward. Being in APRC, UDP or any other political party is not that important. What matters is, let him get the right people who can deliver and serve the national interest, not individual interest.
“We want The Gambia where everyone will benefit, and the agenda set by the transitional government are all realised. That is why the president at this stage as an independent president, needs to restructure certain areas in his government. It is time for work. We need discipline and a government that would work for Gambians and not the interest of any political party.”
