The chief propagandist of the ruling NPP has asserted that President Adama Barrow’s commitment to post-dictatorship democratization is glaringly evident.
President Barrow had been criticized by his political opponents such as the GFA of Bakary Bunja Darboe and critics for his perceived disinterest in ushering in a New Gambia, where democracy and the rule of law would thrive. The GFA accused the NPP leader of not being a reliable partner in the post-dictatorship democratizationproject.
However, NPP’s campaign manager Mr. Lamin Cham said in an interview with The Voice that the fact that the GFA and other critics of the President were expressing their fundamental rights to free speech is an indication of President Barrow’s attentiveness to the Gambia’s democratization process.
“What the GFA, Bakary Darboe and others were saying about the President is enough evidence that the Gambia is experiencing a massive democratic transformation. Bakary Darboe was living in exile throughout Jammeh’srule. We’ve never heard from him throughout the Jammehera but today an environment has been created to enable everyone to freely express their opinions,” he stated.
“This is historic in this country. People are now enjoying unlimited freedom to express themselves to the point that some abuse this right. People are insulting the President, his parents and his family without consequences. I think this is the true democracy,” he added.
For Cham, accusing President Barrow of not being a reliable partner in the post-dictatorship democratization process is unfair.
He added:“Gambians are no longer witnessing torture, arbitrary arrests and detention. We are all witness to that. Gambians abuse him verbally in many ways but he never arrested, detained or tortured anyone. Is this not the new Gambia we’ve been yearning for?
“Who was criticizing Jammeh? We are now witnessingthe mushrooming of Facebook and WhatsApp platforms. Who was conducting Facebook live here? Even those in the West were not doing it because they feared that they may be arrested once they set their feet in The Gambia. Everybody kept mute about what was going on in the country. The reason why we are all talking now and the fact that we have 19 political parties in the country is a testament to President Barrow’s devotion to the Gambia’s democratization project.”
According to Cham, the Security Sector Reform (SSR) project is another indication of President Barrow’s faithfulness to the country’s democratization process.
“We used to see soldiers in uniform in the frontline of politics. Which soldier is involved in partisan politics now? Jungullars were disappearing and torturing people but we no longer witness that,” he asserted.
He pointed out that due to the President’s dedication to post-dictatorship democratization, he accepted almost all the TRRC recommendations.
“He is also making commendable efforts to usher in a new constitution for The Gambia and I am sure we will have it,” added Cham.
