He added that The Gambia could have been a service center with a government of dreams and plans. “They could have lifted Gambia out of extreme poverty,” he said, adding that what has been “hurting us most is poor leadership” which has held Gambia back with leaders that do not look at the sustainability of democracy.
“By now, we should have a two-term limit; we have a constitutional guarantee of human rights.”
In an interview with The Point, during the party’s ongoing nationwide tour, Bensouda said the United Democratic Party (UDP) is focused on what it can offer to offer to bring positive changes that can improve the lives of people in The Gambia.
He said that the tour, which is headed by Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, the Secretary General and leader of the UDP, speaks little about government this time.
“We are trying to focus on what we have to offer. Of course we are an opposition party, we do have to hold government accountable, but we are also focusing on a positive and clear message and trying to focus on basic services to improve people’s lives.”
The tour, which began on Saturday 7 December 2024, is aimed to engage and reassure Gambians about the glorious destiny of The Gambia and the firm commitment of the UDP to understand the challenges of the people and to collectively salvage the country from the hardship and cost of living crisis.
“Gambians are tired of seeing parties just fighting each another, but we are also communicating that though Gambia is poor, but the little resources we have are mismanaged as well,” he added.
The KMC mayor also observed that those millions allocated to the president’s Meet The People Tour could have been used to eliminate the water crises in many parts of the rural communities to improve their lives.
“We should have had a civil service and a security sector reform and came up with recommendations from the TRRC and the Janneh Commission to ensure that these mistakes do not occur again and they should be implemented in policies and recommendations.”
However, he noted poor leadership as Gambia’s fundamental problem. “We were hoping that with the new Gambia in 2016, there should have been a transformative period, but what we are seeing are mistakes of the past still continuing.”
Mayor Bensouda revealed that Gambians are hungry for change, and also they are being increasingly impoverished, adding that with the high cost of living, Gambians do not have access to basic services especially those in rural communities where they have limited access to potable water.
“The last meeting we had in Upper Saloum, many of the women could show us the palms of their hands as a proof of how hard it has become for them in their struggles in fetching water from wells.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Bensouda said that the tour avails Gambians, particularly those in rural communities the opportunity to voice out their frustration and concern, adding that after seven years of Barrow’s government, they have not seen impacts in their lives – as people have become poorer with hopes that have faded away.
“This tour is an opportunity for us to communicate our vision and plans for the country. UDP is a highly Democratic Party that believes in the power of the citizens and we believe that every individual should have a voice.”
He stated that the four Area Councils under the UDP are the only Councils undertaking initiatives despite all constraints, adding that UDP has a track record with limited powers.
“We have proven that even with the limited powers given to us, our Area Councils have way outperformed government Area Councils. So, we know fully well that if we have reigns of the central government, we would have not only reformed to empower local governments, but we would also have a highly responsive national government.”
He underlined that UDP also has a big task and responsibility to end tribalism to ensure that Gambians are unified. He concluded that with a UDP government, they will not hinder councils that do not belong to the party, but instead, they will support councils with the financial resources. He added that they will also bring resources that make sure that Local Government is an integral and formidable part of national development.
