President Adama Barrow has agreed to meet with all political party leaders on Monday to discuss the political environment for sustainable peace and stability in a meeting at the State House. This gathering fulfills the wishes of The Gambia’s multi-stakeholder committee, which was tasked with facilitating a national dialogue between the ruling party, the opposition, and civil society.
Amie Bojang-Sissoho, director of press and public relations at the Office of the President, confirmed that the proposed meeting will take place on Monday, February 12.
“The president has decided to establish a national preparatory committee responsible for leading national dialogues. This dialogue should include individuals and institutions from across the spectrum. The committee was inaugurated on January 30, and its members were briefed on their tasks and roles. Since then, the committee has been very active,” she said.
According to the State House director of press and public relations, President Barrow will personally attend the meeting, which she described as a collective responsibility to preserve our nation, safeguard the state, and secure the country’s resources.
“The president will host the party leaders and other stakeholders attending the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce a national dialogue where stakeholders can engage in discussions, identify issues, and find solutions. All 19 political parties in the country will be contacted and asked to nominate two people to accompany their party leaders,” said Amie Bojang-Sissoho.
President Barrow has also designated February 14 as a day for stakeholders to discuss thematic issues affecting the country. Six thematic areas have been identified, and the preparatory committee will facilitate the meeting. The final meeting will be held on February 16. It has been proposed as a National Day of Dialogue.
John Charles Njie, chairman of the YMCA, praised the president for initiating this call for dialogue among Gambians.
The six thematic areas discussed are the political environment for sustainable peace, religious tolerance for social cohesion, ethnic diversity for national unity, securing sovereignty, safeguarding stability, and media safety in democratic space.
According to John Charles Njie, breaking the deadlock and engaging in dialogue “shows that as a nation we are growing and that the leadership of this nation really wants us to come together and work together. We want to appeal to all those invited to please attend because we have been calling for this, and now we have the opportunity.”
If the meeting proceeds as planned, the encounter between President Adama Barrow and the opposition will be an important political breakthrough. Previous mechanisms for regular consultations between the ruling party and the opposition have faced obstacles, including the failure to adopt a new constitution despite widespread agreement on the need for such a social contract.
