The Gambian President-elect, Adama Barrow will not probe the incumbent, Yahya Jammeh, when he assumes office next month, LEADERSHIP can authoritatively state.Members of Barrow’s delegation to the ongoing ECOWAS mediation meeting in Abuja, made this disclosure yesterday.
A leading member of the National Reconciliation Party and member, Transition Committee, Hon. Mai Ahmad Fatty; and the Secretary General of the party, Hon. Hamat Kbar, while making the disclosure added that the president-elect has also assured that none of Jammeh’s family members would be hunted or vilified under his government.
Fatty, who is also leader of the Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) noted that “He has assured he won’t probe him or trouble any member of his family. He has also said he is free to stay in any part of the country. That is the record you will find.”
They described as baseless and unfounded certain statements allegedly credited to Barrow in a section of foreign media alleging the president-elect purportedly referred to the incumbent as ‘a soulless person or a soulless dictator’.
“He never made such remarks towards the outgoing president. What is fundamental here is that it is not the policy of the coalition. And it is not the policy of the president-elect. Certainly, this is not the statement of any member of the coalition.
“And we’re all really shocked when we read such reports. He could not have made such irresponsible statement, just after the election, when he did not even say anything of such during the campaign”, he said.
While stressing that the interest of Gambia and the entire citizens of the country is paramount to Barrow, they assured that the president-elect would support anything that would ensure a smooth transition and a peaceful post-transition era.
According to Kbar, “We have to look at a bigger picture here. If the outgoing president heard anything he considered offensive, he could invite him on one-on-one, trash it out between the two of them. He’s been president for 22 years, he should know how to deal with issues like this.”
However, they expressed confidence that the on-going peace effort of ECOWAS would yield a positive result even as they express optimism that the outgoing president would leave office without putting up any act that could plunge the nation into crisis.
Source: Leadership
