Galling under pressure: Barrow determined to stay in power

975

By KEBBA ANSU MANNEH

President Adama Barrow has so far shown defiance to stay onto power against mounting pressure from protesters demanding his resignation by January 19, 2020 exactly the same day in 2017, when his predecessor former President Yahya Jammeh controversially relinquish power.

However, this political wrangling seems not too much a pressure on the desire of President Barrow to cling on to power beyond the agreed date, against all odds.

He registered his National People’s Party (NPP) on December 31, 2019, with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and insisting on staying in power in his New Year’s message to the nation.

Last month, analysts said more than fifty thousand Gambians about the quarter of those who voted for President Barrow, under the banner of ‘Operation 3 Years Jotna’ took to the street to renew their calls on the President to step down in honor of the three years by January 19, 2019.

The protest has been described by many as the biggest ever organized in the country since independence in 1965; a peaceful protest that ended peaceful against rigorous and negative campaigning orchestrated by the followers of the President, many of whom feared and predicted violent scenes.

The group has already threaten to fill the streets on the January 20^t, 2020 in their efforts to pressurise President Adama Barrow to step-down in honor of the coalition 2016 agreement, revealing that over hundred thousand people will be mobilized to partake in this planned protest in a bit to force him out.

Responding to activists calling on him to resign by January 19, 2020, President Adama Barrow said in his 13 minutes New Year message to The Gambians that in view of the prevailing circumstances, he will not honor the coalition 2016 agreement but rather the constitution of the Gambia that guarantees him to serve for a full five years mandate.

“To resign after three years in office implies betraying the people, multiple of whom continue to support my government and our agenda. I have judiciously counsel myself to bow to the will of the people and I refuse to yield to the sentiments and ambition of a minority group,” President Barrow stated in his New Year address to the nation.

According to him, his decision is also anchored on his swearing to the Holy Quran done in both Dakar and Banjul to defend and act in accordance to its dictates, adding that it is out of such respect that, he has no other choice than to serve his full five years constitutional mandate.

“I have sworn by the Holy Qur’an in Dakar and in The Gambia to defend and act according to the national constitution, under this circumstances I cannot honor the coalition agreement to prevail over the constitution,” President Barrow emphasized.

He added: “The confidence and mandate entrusted upon me have subsequently guided me to respect the voice and wills of the people to maintaining the full constitutional mandate of five years. It is in this spirit that both the legislative and Local Government elections were held and circumstances now dictates that national development and national interest supersedes partisan or sectional interest.”

The Gambian leader continued to state that he will serve for five years as stipulated in the constitution of The Gambia for a sitting president of country

For Barrow he is in a good state of mind to run the affairs of the country and there is no prevailing circumstance that can warrant his resignation.

Against the fear of protests that are expected to mark the year 2020, The Gambian Leader urges citizens to remain vigilant and work towards consolidating the peace and tranquility of the country.

He reminded the security forces of their duties and responsibilities in keeping the country safe and secure.

“The greatest threat to a nation is disorder and instability, lawlessness will undermine the peace and tranquility we all enjoy. While all citizens should remain vigilant, the security services have to be alert and well dispose to maintain law and order and to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” President Barrow warned.

The year 2019 has been a waterloo for President Adama Barrow and his government for constantly coming into confrontations with the citizens mainly on environmental, human rights and political issues.

Political pundits associate the lapses of the government to the inability of the President in making his own judgment on many state matters.