By Omar Bah
The Vice President and Minister for Women’s Affairs, Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang, has said that President Adama Barrow has never campaigned for a certain political party contrary to widespread speculations.
“From a government perspective we believe the president as the head of government has a responsibility to stitch our 22 years fragmented society,” she told journalists yesterday at a press conference at State House.
She said the president’s intention was not partisan, neither was it meant to support any entity or a particular political party.
“We have to understand that Barrow is an independent president and he is working by that…He is always trying to work for the interest of every Gambian in the name of the Coalition but life is like that; sometimes you take things with good faith, but others will give it a different analytical view,” she stated.
Speaking further, VP Jallow said: “For example the meeting in Soma was through the invitation of the women in the area for the celebration of the Coalition anniversary and there was no way he could campaign for any political party because he was there with heads of all the political parties in the Coalition.”
She said Gambians are even more politically aware to be maneuvered like that.
On the issue of reported usage of government resources in politics, VP Jallow said at the level of government they are not aware of the use of state resources during campaign because the President has discouraged that.
“But I can assure you that if we come across anything of such we will take the necessary actions because we cannot act like the former regime. If that happens then that means the change has not made any impact,” she said.
Whiles commending Gambians for the maturity they have showed during and after the elections, VP Jallow called on both the winners and losers to embrace one another in the mutual interest of national development.
She said the cooperation that government receives from Gambians since they took office is remarkable.
The objective of the press conference was to discuss the just concluded electoral cycle and government’s intention to address the concerns that were raised.
