As we look forward to a bumper harvest and bumper tourist arrivals, The
Gambia government is continuing to amaze its citizens with more
infrastructural developments. The transparent, free and fair conduct of the
recently concluded presidential elections and the President's excellent
inaugural speech, gives us even more hope.

The re-construction of the Badala Park highway from the SeneGambia Beach
Hotel area, where it joins the Kombo coastal highway, to stink corner has
now been completed and is truely a highway now. It now takes only a few
minutes to drive to SeneGambia from Kanifing, Bakau and Fajara.

Add to all these, is the British High Commissioner's reception of President
Jammeh's inaugural speech. Culled from the Independent, please read on.

Have a good day, Gassa.

UNRESERVEDLY IMPRESSED WITH INAUGURATION SPEECH BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER
APPLAUDS PRESIDENT JAMMEH

John Perrott the British High Commissioner has applauded what he called “the
right speech” by President Jammeh to reconcile differences among Gambians
and look to the future with rekindled hope and confidence. Reacting to the
president’s inauguration address delivered Friday at the Independence
Stadium, High Commissioner Perrott said it had struck an excellent chord
with the urgent need to reconcile the different political persuasions and
steer the country on an agreeable path with the international community.

Jammeh’s speech on the occasion makes us think of the future with confidence
that things will be better” the British diplomat enthused, adding that he
was looking forward to working with the president and all Gambians for a
more fruitful Anglo-Gambian relation. He also said despite the long drawn
out diplomatic standoff between The Gambia and Britain over the expulsion in
August of the deputy British High Commissioner Bharat Joshi, it was an
excellent appeal from Jammeh to get beyond the past and look towards the
future. He said taking a cue from the president’s appeal for compromise with
the rest of the world, Britain is more than prepared to bury past
differences between the two countries although he said his country still
maintains that the expulsion of Joshi was wrong.

Mr. Perrott also said it was very considerate of President Jammeh to
appreciate that 47 percent of the Gambian electorate who didn’t vote for
him, are of different political persuasions, which must be respected as part
of the genuine desire to foster goodwill among Gambians. The High
Commissioner also applauded the granting of an unconditional amnesty to
ousted president Jawara and his family, and the declaration of guarantees
for their security should they return to The Gambia after seven years in
exile. High Commissioner Perrott believes that this latest overture towards
the former president signals practical evidence of President Jammeh’s
concerns for reconciliation and cooperation to build The Gambia and foster
lasting friendship with the rest of the world.

High Commissioner Perrott also emphasised that it was remarkably positive of
the president to affirm The Gambia’s support for the war against
international terrorism. “He did not regard as Muslim those who back the
killing of innocent people as an Islamic cause. His emphasis that Gambians
could live as part of that broad coalition against terrorism, and that
Gambia and the international community should not be divided but look
forward and stop harping on the past was tremendously important” he said. He
also said as always in the past Britain looks forward to working closely
with The Gambia in all areas of international concerns one of which is
terrorism. High Commissioner Perrott also spoke glowing about the ambience
that attended the inauguration of the president. “Added to the mix of the
old colonial ceremonial tradition, were the colour and vibrancy, which
showed it was a Gambian and an African occasion. The inauguration of a
president should never be a light affair”, he maintained.

The High Commissioner also said he was impressed by the number of
sub-regional leaders who attended the ceremony. He said it was reassuring
that the occasion attracted what he called a “great blend of enthusiasm”
from the region epitomized by the presence of Presidents Olusegun Obansanjo
of Nigeria, Kumba Yalla of Guinea-Bissau, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierrra
Leone and John Kufour of Ghana among other heads of state.








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