Barrow to run for UDP? No?
Dear editor,
As reported in The Standard newspaper, Barrow [will likely] run again for the presidency on the UDP ticket. I thought I was reading a Kabou’nka newspaper or listening to a Camara Kunda ta’ling ta’ling.
Back to reading a Kombo’nka newspaper.
The UDP needs a new party leader. Darboe is old, lacks the energy and the knowhow to lead The Gambia. The next leader of the UDP should be elected from a party conference. We deserve to know why anyone would want to lead the UDP and The Gambia. What are the earmarked programmes and priorities for government of such a potential leader? The next leader of the UDP should not emerge from a coronation selection. That’ll be a betrayal of our democracy.
As for President Barrow, if he doesn’t know that he’s incapable of leading The Gambia, at least Gambians should know that he’s a waste of space, time and money.
And we want him to stand down after the three years or be impeached by the National Assembly or be forced out of office by the courts. Three years is a long enough time to have [him] for a president. The worst mistake that the UDP and The Gambia will make will be to roll out Barrow again onto the people as a presidential candidate. The UDP has to be bold, radical and different in presenting the party’s next president to the country.
The next president of The Gambia should not be a middle-of-the-road dull ball who has no idea what he’s doing in the State House.
The national economic development of The Gambia and the prosperity of the citizens depend on who is in charge of managing the affairs of the state.
President Barrow should stand down after three years.
He was an accident in the first place and we don’t want another accident on our hands.
The leaders of the UDP owe it to the part and The Gambia to open the doors of the party to leadership elections.
There are many capable Gambians within the ranks of the UDP who’ll do a sterling job in leading The Gambia.
If we don’t open the doors of the party to leadership elections, we won’t know who these capable Gambians are.
A political party may be founded by a certain individual but a political party should not be the personal belonging of one individual.
Your future and the future of your children depend on having a political party and the country be led by people who have what it takes to lead, people who have the knowhow and the confidence to lead, people who command the respect and admiration of their colleagues, people who can put together policy initiatives and lead from the front, someone who understands politics, finance, economics and national development.
It must never be someone like Barrow again.
The Gambia needs a young, determined, purposeful and charismatic president who is living in the modern times. But not a deranged, mentally defective colonial baggage or an average Joe public. Or Mr and Mrs university degrees who do not understand anything about politics, finance and economics.
Let’s rise up to the challenge if we want to live in a developed economy with a vibrant democracy and put someone who can think for him or herself in charge of running the country.
There’s a difference between a functionary who is told and directed what to do in an office and to be the president of a country. The office of the president is different from any other office in the land.
Yusupha ‘Major’ Bojang
Brikama
Citizens, boycott the ID cards from Semlex
Dear editor,
Given that the Government of The Gambia recently declared that there will be food shortage this year due to the poor rains; and that over 1.7 million Gambians will require food aid during the coming year, it is absolutely insensitive to tell citizens to spend D450 to acquire national ID cards.
Given that the company contracted by government to issue these ID Cards is embroiled in many corruption scandals and is alleged to be fund of bribing their way throughout Africa in order to win contracts; and given that it has been revealed that they issue ID cards and passports to foreign nationals, it is wrong for government to ask Gambians to get ID cards from this company.
Given that there are companies in the country that can do this work; that is issue these ID cards presumably at a lower cost to citizens and that whatever profits generated will remain in the country, it is wrong for government to tell citizens to pay that this huge sum of money to Semlex in order to get ID cards. One would have thought that the government will promote indigenous companies in order to boast our economy.
This government has repeatedly told us that the economy it inherited was not good and that IMF advised the country to cut spending and put austerity measures in place to recover our former economic status; yet, we observe lavish spending on its part which suggests that the economy is not as bad as the officials want us to believe. Now that they want us to also pull out huge amounts to acquire ID cards, we should not allow them to drag us into that.
Due to all of the above, I call on citizens to boycott the ID cards from the Semlex company!
Musa Bah
‘Tha Scribbler’
Bundung
Re: Jammeh will rule Gambia again
Dear editor,
I was flabbergasted to read this story in The Standard newspaper attributed to one Ousman Jatta. I’m not a Gambian but I used to go to Banjul every summer with my family during the school break in Senegal. I remember the delicious seafood, the Sunday concerts at the beach, and the fantastic humour of Gambian people. This was of course prior to the dictatorship of Jammeh. Insh’Allah, in order for him to rule Gambia again, he will have to conquer Dakar, Touba (Bayfall yi la faye fek), Tivaouane, Casamance… As long as we Senegalese people are alive, we will fight for the freedom of our Gambian brothers and sisters. Vive La SeneGambie!
BayeFall
Dakar, Senegal
