Seedy Keita Urges Opposition to Pair Criticism With Practical Solutions

By Fatou Sillah

Finance Minister Seedy Keita has called on opposition parties and critics of government policies to complement their criticisms with practical alternatives, arguing that constructive opposition should focus on advancing solutions that improve the lives of Gambians.

Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Keita said he does not believe opposition politics should be defined by rejecting every government initiative without offering a credible alternative or explaining how a different approach would produce better results.

He said critics should clearly articulate why they believe a policy has fallen short and support their arguments with evidence, including examples of successful approaches implemented elsewhere.

“For every critique that you make, you should give a counter critique to say, ‘Yes, this is why I’m criticizing, this is why I believe it’s not working, this is what I will do, and if I do it this way, it will work.’ You should say, I want to do it this way because it has worked elsewhere,” Mr. Keita said.

The finance minister argued that opposition parties need not wait until they are elected to government before contributing ideas that could benefit the country. He said worthwhile proposals should be welcomed and adopted regardless of their political origin if they serve the public interest.

Drawing on the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system, Mr. Keita pointed to the role of shadow ministers, who scrutinize government decisions while presenting alternative policies for public consideration.

He said the same approach would strengthen political debate in The Gambia by encouraging opposition parties to move beyond criticism and offer workable policy proposals aimed at improving the welfare and livelihoods of citizens.

Mr. Keita also maintained that the government’s policy decisions are informed by data, empirical analysis, and assessments from both national and international institutions. He said those measures indicate that the country has made measurable progress under the current administration.