Dear Editor,
The December presidential elections are just around the corner. Their proximity seems to be stirring lots of anxiety and generating a momentum of sometimes abusive and threatening rhetoric. This coincides with UDP’s persistent declarations, particularly by Mr Lamin Manneh (Snr), of their determination to protect vote integrity.
Could this have triggered this profound and conspicuous unease among members or supporters of the ruling party? There is little or no constructive debate on policy, but rather a gross display of verbal threats, aggression, and sometimes personal insults. A tense political landscape seems to be emerging.
Well, well, one does not have to be a psychologist to notice these defensive verbal and social media outbursts, which seem to reveal a lot about the deep-seated anxieties of the people behind them or a group’s broader dynamics.
Governance, especially good governance, has responsibilities for managing national and institutional resources. The emerging and persistent aggression from a ruling party during a defining moment of the campaign period clearly displays the psychology of accountability.
After getting used to a lack of, or lose control over, state affairs and facing the prospect of rigorous oversight, the mention of electoral integrity can be alarming. It is a chilling awakening of the prospect of financial reckoning and a threat to endless impunity relished over the years. Is fear of accountability the driving force behind this rhetoric as a proactive defence mechanism?
Thriving on a network of impunity, a lack of transparency, and a transactional governance framework with a hallmark of systemic corruption and favouritism can ignite existential panic towards a possible end to uninterrupted rule. These signal a lack of confidence in continuity and/or a dying ecosystem where a transactional relationship has long reigned.
Challenges to such a system outline the threat to beneficiaries of patronage and proximity to power, who lash out with insults at individuals and opposing parties. Is the UDP declaration an imminent threat to patronage and sycophancy?
Really, the expectation from a government seeking another term is meaningful debate on policies and, in fact, criticisms of proposed alternative policies of the opposition and their manifestos. Unfortunately, we are witnessing invectives directed at individuals, particularly “Dr” Manneh, one of the strongest advocates of electoral integrity.
By the way, Mr Lamin Manneh does not hold a doctorate. The persistent fixation and mischaracterisation of this international civil servant, with a career of several years behind him, needs some clarification. This degree was never self-acclaimed. It is no more than an honorary moniker given to him by the “Mengebe Kering” Radio during his erudite and rigorous deliberations on their programmes. Over time, he has repeatedly clarified that it is not his. Well, the label just simply and deservedly stuck.
Such unwarranted attacks coming from supporters of a political party demonstrate a severe lack of substance to defend their party’s record whilst betraying an underlying fear, leading to the use of threats and insults as the only defence – very unfortunate.
The loud bravado is no more than a façade of fragility. To retain public trust, the ruling party and its supporters simply need to forgo such threats and insults against persons and parties, address the legitimate concerns of the people, and add a voice to the calls for electoral integrity and transparency. Threats and insults are not a display of strength. They expose an underlying weakness etched in the psychology of accountability and loss of patronage.
Just Thinking Aloud
Lamino Lang Coma
Bijilo
A dangerous provocation: Why must Barrow’s government stage an inauguration on Unite’s nomination day?
Dear Editor,
The Government must immediately postpone the 7th November inauguration ceremony at Abuko. The responsibility for preventing any confrontation rests squarely with the authorities.
The announcement by the Ministry of Transport that President Adama Barrow will inaugurate a major road project at Abuko on Saturday, 7th November 2026, raises serious concerns about the Government’s judgment, political sensitivity and commitment to maintaining peace during this critical electoral period.
What makes this announcement particularly troubling is the timing and location.
Saturday, 7th November, is the scheduled nomination day for UNITE. It is also an important day for Coalition 2026, with political activities planned around the same area. Yet the Government has chosen this very date to organise a presidential inauguration ceremony in the vicinity of the Coalition’s planned rally ground.
Why 7th November? Why Abuko? And why must a government inauguration take place in such close proximity to a major opposition political event on the very same day?
These are legitimate questions that the Government must answer.
Road inaugurations are not emergencies. They are ceremonial events that can be scheduled for any convenient date. There is absolutely no compelling reason why this particular ceremony cannot be postponed by a few days.
The Government cannot claim to be unaware of the political activities already planned for that day. In a politically sensitive environment, responsible leadership requires consultation, coordination and foresight, not decisions that create the possibility of unnecessary confrontation.
The presence of supporters of different political formations in the same vicinity, potentially arriving and departing at the same time, creates foreseeable risks of traffic congestion, heightened tensions and possible clashes.
Whether this scheduling is deliberate or a serious failure of political judgment, its consequences could be dangerous.
President Barrow and his Government must understand that maintaining public peace is a constitutional and national responsibility, not a political favour.
We therefore make an unequivocal demand:
1. The Government must immediately postpone the Abuko road inauguration to a safer and more appropriate date.
2. The Ministry of Transport must coordinate with the relevant political stakeholders to avoid overlapping events and unnecessary tension.
3. The Police must put appropriate arrangements in place to guarantee the safety of all citizens and protect the constitutional rights of political parties to organise peaceful activities.
4. The Government must ensure that its official activities do not obstruct, intimidate or interfere with the lawful political activities of other citizens.
Let there be no misunderstanding: UNITE and Coalition 2026 have a legitimate right to organise their nomination activities and political gatherings peacefully. That right must be respected.
We must also make one thing absolutely clear: if any incident, confrontation or breakdown of public order occurs as a result of the overlapping events, the Government must be held fully accountable for its decision to proceed with an avoidable and potentially volatile arrangement despite the foreseeable risks.
The authorities have been put on notice. They have an opportunity to prevent a problem before it happens. They must not wait for an unfortunate incident before acknowledging that better judgment was required.
The Gambia does not need manufactured political tension. It needs responsible leadership, restraint and respect for democratic freedoms.
A road inauguration can wait. The safety of Gambians cannot.
The responsibility to prevent this foreseeable situation rests with the Government. The time to act is now.
Tombong Saidy
UNITE
