By Seedy Jobe
The leader of the United Democratic Party, ANM Ousainu Darboe, urged voters in Jarra Jalenbereh to support the UDP in December’s presidential election, arguing that the country is at a critical turning point and accusing President Adama Barrow’s administration of neglecting farmers and mismanaging public resources.
Addressing supporters during a “Ding kunglio”, Mr. Darboe described the election as a defining moment for the country, telling residents that the UDP offered what he called the only viable path to reversing The Gambia’s economic and agricultural challenges.
He sharply criticized the government’s handling of the groundnut sector, saying farmers had been left waiting for meaningful support even after their produce had been collected last year. While acknowledging that the prices of essential commodities affect both ordinary citizens and government officials, Mr. Darboe argued that the administration had prioritized increasing the salaries of senior officials instead of addressing the needs of farmers.
Mr. Darboe also questioned President Barrow’s pledge to increase civil servants’ salaries by 30 percent if re-elected, saying no comparable commitment had been made to support farmers despite rising production costs and the need for fertilizer.
Turning to campaign spending, Mr. Darboe claimed that the president would soon tour rural communities with a large convoy of campaign vehicles. He argued that the money, which he estimated at about 50 million dalasis, would be better spent providing fertilizer free of charge to farmers.
As an alternative, Mr. Darboe pointed to neighboring Senegal, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration introduced measures to support farmers, including subsidized fertilizer. He said a UDP government would pursue similar policies to strengthen agricultural production in The Gambia.
The opposition leader also welcomed the People’s Progressive Party’s decision to support the UDP in the December election and expressed hope that additional opposition parties would join what he described as a broader effort to bring political change.
Still, he said electoral alliances alone would not secure victory.
“Even if 10 parties rally behind the UDP, if you, the people of Jalenbereh, do not give your vote to the UDP, the country will sink,” Mr. Darboe told the gathering. “And I hope you do not want the country to sink.”
Mr. Darboe challenged residents to assess what they had gained after years of supporting the governing party, asking whether their communities had seen meaningful development.
On employment, he said a UDP administration would prioritize creating opportunities for self-employment rather than relying solely on public sector jobs. He proposed investing public funds in livestock programs for young people, arguing that an investment of 500 million dalasis could significantly expand domestic animal production over five years and reduce dependence on imports.
“The progress of a nation is for its citizens to have work,” Mr. Darboe said. “When that happens in any country, that country moves forward.”
The governing National People’s Party has consistently defended its economic record, pointing to investments in infrastructure, civil service reforms and agricultural initiatives, while arguing that external economic pressures have contributed to the country’s challenges.
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