By Fatou Sillah
The Party Leader and Secretary General of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), Mama Kandeh, has criticized the use of the president’s Meet the People Tour for political activities, arguing that the exercise is constitutionally mandated for public dialogue and not for campaigning or announcing political defections.
Speaking during a GDC rally in the Buffer Zone, Kandeh said the tour is intended to provide citizens with an opportunity to engage directly with the president on national issues, identify challenges, and discuss solutions.
According to him, the National Assembly allocates public funds for the tour because it is a constitutional requirement meant to benefit all Gambians, not to advance the interests of any political party.
“The Meet the People Tour is a constitutional requirement. That is why Parliament allocates a budget from public funds to enable the president to travel across the country and engage citizens in dialogue about their problems and possible solutions,” Kandeh said.
He stressed that the tour should not be used to criticize opposition parties or to announce defections, noting that political campaigning should be financed by political parties themselves.
“It should not be used to say that someone has left one party to join another or to attack other political parties,” he said.
Kandeh further argued that if the president intends to embark on a political tour with his party, such activities should be funded through personal or party resources rather than taxpayers’ money.
He called on the National Assembly to take firm action to ensure strict compliance with the laws governing the Meet the People Tour, warning that failure to do so could result in legal action.
“I am calling on the National Assembly to put strict measures in place to ensure that the law is respected when it comes to the Meet the People Tour,” he said.
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