Haji Sawaneh, UDP National Youth President
By Fatou Sillah
The National Youth President of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hagi Suwaneh, has sharply criticized President Adama Barrow’s leadership, describing him as intolerant and accusing his administration of failing to safeguard democracy through strong legal and constitutional frameworks.
In an interview, Suwaneh argued that democracy in The Gambia remains vulnerable because it is not firmly anchored in law but instead depends on the discretion of the president.
“Barrow is not tolerant,” Suwaneh said. “I only said you cannot be proud of a democracy that is not protected by laws; our democracy is not protected by laws; it is at the mercy of an individual. If I speak, I go free; it is to his mercy, not the constitution.”
Suwaneh further accused President Barrow of failing to fulfill key reform promises made during the 2016 election campaign, particularly those relating to constitutional, institutional, and civil service reforms.
“Remember, Barrow did not come for road construction; his 2016 manifesto was purely about constitutional reform, civil service reform, and economic reforms. He said clearly that he wanted to bring a new constitution with term limits and ensure that nobody would be able to remove it,” he said.
According to the UDP youth leader, the president has since abandoned those commitments and acted contrary to the aspirations of Gambians who supported reform during the 2016 transition.
“Today the only thing he can do is to organize 23 National Assembly Members against taxpayers’ money and against what Gambians were fighting for just for personal reasons; that is why people are asking where the morals are,” he said.
Suwaneh also described President Barrow’s intention to seek a third term as a moral and political challenge for the country, suggesting it could weaken public confidence in the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).
“For me, if Barrow contests for a third term, that is the easiest and the simplest way to remove NPP from government; people already raised concerns about morals because he promised term limits and a secured constitution,” he said.
He concluded by reiterating that the administration’s failure to deliver on reforms would have political consequences. “On reforms, I am telling you Barrow failed everything, and that is going to translate in the election,” Suwaneh said.
Comments are closed.