United Democratic Party leader ANM Ousainu Darboe has urged Gambians to reject President Adama Barrow in the December 5 presidential election, warning that another Barrow term would worsen the country’s economic problems.
Addressing a fundraising gathering at Serrekunda Market on Sunday, Darboe said young people and traders had the power to change the country’s economic direction through the ballot box.
The opposition leader described the strong youth presence at the event as evidence that young Gambians were ready for political change and could no longer be swayed by what he called empty promises.
“What this shows is that the youths of this country are ready,” he said. “There is nobody who can deceive them with empty talk, and there is nobody who can mislead them with their actions.”
Much of Darboe’s speech focused on the difficulties facing market vendors, particularly women involved in cross-border trade. He described market women as the “mothers of the nation” and said their contribution was essential to the Gambian economy.
Darboe said women who travel to Senegal to buy vegetables were being hit by the rising value of the CFA franc against the dalasi. The exchange-rate pressure, he argued, had increased trading costs and pushed up the prices of imported goods.
He held the Barrow administration responsible for the dalasi’s decline, accusing the government of failing to manage the economy effectively.
Darboe said a UDP government would seek to expand economic opportunities for women and strengthen the agricultural sector. He proposed building cold-storage facilities in major farming areas to limit post-harvest losses and helping producers gain access to international markets.
Such measures, he said, would increase exports and bring more foreign currency into the country.
Darboe also criticised the government’s reliance on borrowing, warning that debts denominated in foreign currencies would place a heavy repayment burden on future generations.
Reflecting on his first presidential campaign in 1996, he said he had raised concerns at the time about the increasing price of rice. He asked supporters to compare the cost of the staple food then with current market prices.
Darboe promised to make economic reform a priority if elected to serve a five-year term.
“The country’s strength will be built on the economy,” he said.
The UDP leader told supporters that the election was not about winning positions for party officials, but about improving the future of young people, traders and Gambians generally. He also dismissed claims that UDP officials were motivated by a desire for public office.
“If we were greedy for positions, you would have found us in government today,” he said.
Darboe appealed to vendors who do not support the UDP to join the party, saying collective political action was needed to tackle the country’s economic challenges.
He ended his address by predicting severe consequences for the dalasi if Barrow won another term. According to Darboe, the exchange rate could rise to D100 to the US dollar and D120 to the British pound, further increasing costs for businesses that depend on imports.
“If you make a mistake on the 5th of December and choose Adama Barrow to be president of this country, know that the economy of The Gambia will be destroyed,” he said.
“If we do not join together and rescue this country, we will suffer here.”
