" My fellow Gambians today for the first time in our modern history the
people have effected a change in government that was predicated on a free and
fairly contested election . I, in the name of the Almighty would like to
thank and congratulate all citizens who enthusiastically exercised their
ultimate civic duties by flooding the polling stations and ensuring  peace
and calm throughout the period which inturn enabled the international
observers to effectively monitor the whole proceedings. I have received a
congratulatory call from President Jammeh and he has pledged to do all he can
to make the transition as smooth as possible. While the people have clearly
given me and our party  a clear mandate as evident on the overall margin,  we
must understand that democracies by their definition do not consist of
homogeneous  ideas . I intend to reach out to the opposition and accord  them
every opportunity to partcipate in the  life of the nation  from ensuring
that their ideas are heard through guaranteed access to the public airwaves
to reforming the legisture to enable them to fully influence the shape of
laws . In the coming weeks our team would  appraise the current situation of
the government in all aspects to enable us to establish where we are. Today
however I want to outline to you in a very broad way the direction I hope
would begin to ameliorate the very difficult circumstances under which the
overwhelming majority of you exist. From the struggling government employee
to the farmer scrimping for basic survival , times in sunny Gambia have never
been harder. Compounding this already difficult daily existence is the ever
increasing  sense of pessimism that has permeated our society. People have
simply lost hope and do not believe their future lies in their own country.
The tasks ahead are enormous requiring tact, time and relentless drive. As
your President I would do all that is humanly possible to address the issues
, but candor compels me to tell you my fellow citizens that the journey from
our current situation would be a difficult one  requiring personal, community
and institutional sacrifice begining with me. I intend to immediately ask my
aids to pare down the cost of operating the Presidency particularly the
elaborate security apparatus at least 50%.  While we do not anticipate laying
off government workers we will nonetheless have to restructure our government
to enable it to do those things it is suited better. This may entail
redeploying some people and retraining others. We simply can't keep doing
what we have done for past years which have trapped otherwise smart and
hardworking people in useless and dead end jobs. If we run a ministry of
education that is graduating the most ill prepared high school kids in a
generation but it has nine directors including one who supervises stationery
purchase then we must reform that ministry to make it focus on educating the
future of this country. Similarly we would de-emphasize those aspects of
society that are better handled at the communal level such as religion and
youth affairs.  The neighborhood preachers, imams and teachers have over the
centuries successfully thought and maintained our religious values from their
neighborhood pulpits. Creating a central government portfolio  or a governing
religious  body serves no intrinsic value to the propagation  of religions.
The government if it can should therefore help the neighborhood  religious
infrastructure  based on the imam and the ustash up the street.

My first priority is to establish the very vital relationships with our donor
and development partners. I have sought audiences with the governments of the
United States, UK, Japan , Canada and the EU to present ideas that would set
us on the course to better living standards  for our people and also make us
full a participant as member of the family of nations . The constituional
changes that have been effected would also enable us to ask for debt relief
which to a large  extent continues to be a heavy burden and would undoubtedly
impact any overall development that is undertaken.  Once we make the
structural changes that sets us on the right track, I am confident our
development partners would accomodate our very pressing needs.

To our citizens resident abroad, I recognize your interest in events back
home and I want to reiterate your importance to us all . I have met hundreds
of you in both the US and Europe when we came to solicit your help and ideas.
In auditoria and apartments you have manifested an abiding interest in making
your homeland better even from afar. Your contributions to the economy
especially the informal sector is very vital as you continue to subsidize
your families and spur the housing market and small businesses . We recognize
that and I would for the first time establish a coordinating office that
would operate from the presidency with the task of keeping in touch with
every Gambian community abroad with particular focus on facilitating their
government related concerns. My doors would always be open to every Gambian
here or abroad. I will not be ensconced at State house because it is my
intention to make unannounced forays into people and places to more fully
understand the issues people face.
 My fellow citizens let us all join in prayer and Ask for the Almighty's
guidance as we embark on a rebirth of our nation. Together we can lay the
foundations for a better country for those that follow us. Wasalam'


This , list members is a speech I would like to hear.

Karamba

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