By Arret Jatta
President Adama Barrow and senior members of his National People’s Party government have stepped up their attacks on opposition figures, with recent campaign remarks touching on political rivalry, regional identity, ancestry and the Gambian diaspora.
Speaking at an NPP rally in Farafenni on Saturday, President Barrow said he intended to force his political godfather-turned-rival, United Democratic Party leader Ousainu Darboe, into retirement after the December 5 presidential election.
He said he would make Darboe “retire and go on pension” from politics.
He pointed to the crowd at the Farafenni rally and said the images would confirm to Darboe that Gambians have decided and that the election is already in the bag of NPP and its alliance.
He praised Sobeyaa party leader Essa Faal for agreeing to join his alliance.
Barrow mockingly said he invited Darboe and other opposition heads to join his coalition after Gambia Democratic Congress leader Mamma Kandeh joined the alliance.
He thumbed up Essa Faal being “smart” by heeding to his call.
Sabally hits back at Bensouda
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Demba Sabally criticised Kanifing municipality mayor Talib Bensouda over remarks concerning family planning and population growth.
Sabally accused Bensouda of insulting people in the provinces by linking large family sizes and a lack of family planning to poverty.
He said Bensouda owed his political rise to the UDP and claimed Bensouda directed insulting remarks at Ousainu Darboe.
He accused the Unite party leader of being disrespectful to religious leaders, former presidents and rural Gambians.
“You, Talib Bensouda, I want to remind you that even your own elders from your father’s side and from your mother’s side are from the provinces,” Sabally said.
‘Lebanon’ remarks backlash
Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs Hamat Bah drew criticism from several quarters over remarks made during the meeting.
Bah reportedly linked the UDP’s challenge of voter registrations before the revising courts to concerns involving Fula and Wolof communities. He further claimed that members of the two tribes could face expulsion if the UDP ascends to power.
He also claimed that the UDP would replace civil servants with people from the diaspora.
Bah additionally warned Gambians against allowing “foreigners” to take over the country.
“This country will never become Lebanon. Nobody will take over this country and give it to foreigners. Be careful with your votes,” Bah said
The remarks have attracted condemnation from civil society activist Madi Jobarteh and UDP administrative secretary for media and communications Saikou Camara among others.
Jobarteh described Bah’s comments as irresponsible and accused him of using divisive rhetoric.
He questioned the basis for the claim that the UDP would replace civil servants with members of the diaspora, saying no evidence had been provided to support the allegation.
Jobarteh said if the Lebanon reference was aimed at the Unite leader, then Minister Bah should be reminded that Bensouda “is a bona fide Gambian as much as Hamat himself.”
Camara similarly described Bah’s remarks as “deeply divisive,” accusing the minister of using tribal and xenophobic rhetoric.
Mr Bensouda’s paternal grandfather had roots in Morocco not Lebanon. However, people from Lebanon as well as the greater Maghreb including Mauritania, are clumped together and generally referred rather derogatively in The Gambia as “Narr”.