APRC targets key opposition strongholds in LRR
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  Wednesday, September 07, 2011

The opposition strongholds in the Lower River Region notably the districts
of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central will be a focus for the
ruling APRC party in the forthcoming presidential election, following
assurances by the people of the region of their loyalty to the party.

At a meeting held at State House with President Yahya Jammeh on Monday, a
delegation of APRC party bigwigs headed by the Regional Governor, Lamin Waa
Juwara, assured the Gambian leader that their region, which until today
remains an opposition stronghold, will shift allegiance and vote massively
for the ruling party.

The constituencies of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central have,
since the advent of the July 22nd Revolution in 1994, been key opposition
strongholds and any shift in their political allegiance will mean a lot in
the country’s political history, political analyst s have said.

Analysts, however, expressed the view that this will be an uphill task for
the ruling APRC, whose leader, President Jammeh will be seeking a fourth
five-year term of office in the November polls.

“We want to assure you Your Excellency that, come the 25th November, the
ruling APRC party will register a landslide victory in the Lower River
Region, particularly Kiang West, Central and Jarra Central,” Governor
Juwara, a past critic of the ruling APRC and now Governor of the Lower River
Region, said.

Speaker upon speaker at the State House meeting assured the APRC leadership
that gone are the days when the Lower River Region rallies behind the
opposition.

Monday’s meeting followed similar meetings by delegations from the Kanifing
Municipality, Banjul, Central, North Bank, Upper River and West Coast
regions, all of which, according to this presidential affairs correspondent
for The Point newspaper, were at State House to reassure the Gambian leader
of their “total loyalty”.

“Come Election Day, the APRC will conquer all the three National Assembly
seats in the hands of the opposition,” Alhagie Seedy Cham, the APRC regional
chairman, assured the party leadership.

Speaking at the meeting, President Yahya Jammeh started by lauding the
people of the Lower River Region for their turnout during his
recently-concluded meet-the-people tour, which he said was not even
registered when he took over the country in 1994.

According to him, when he visited the region in 1994, many people were out
just to know who Yahya Jammeh was, but during his meet-the-people tour,
people turned out in their large numbers because of happiness and love for
him, noting that this was very important.

“This is just the beginning. You will be surprised to see more development
projects in future because nobody will come and develop this county for us.
It is we the Gambians who should stand up and develop this country,” Jammeh
stated.

“Before 1994, one can count the number of high schools in the country, but
today who can count the number of high schools built from 1994 to date
across the country,” he said, adding that anyone who stays away from voting
during the election will be denied getting a passport.

He noted that anyone who does not vote in the forthcoming elections will be
classified as an enemy of the state.

The Gambian leader urged APRC militants in the Lower River Region whom, he
said, were beaten, harassed and disowned by their communities, to be patient
as they will reap the fruits of their labour for the past 17 years.

The Vice President and Minister of Women’s Affairs, Aja Dr. Isatou
Njie-Saidy, described Governor Lamin Waa Juwara as a true citizen of The
Gambia for seeing for himself the reality of what President Jammeh is doing
for the country.

“This is why Juwara shifted his allegiance to the APRC party when he was
attracted by the many developments Jammeh has done in the country from 1994
to date,” VP Njie-Saidy stated.

She expressed optimism that the people of Kiang West have now shifted their
support to the APRC party, and commended the youths of the region for their
efforts.

Lamin Kaba Bajo, minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and National
Assembly Matters, who is also the liaison officer for the region, expressed
confidence that the people of LRR and Kiang, in particular, will make
changes in their area come November.

“We are not thinking of whether President Jammeh will win this coming
presidential election or not. What we are thinking of now is how he is going
to win in terms of percentage,” he said, while calling on APRC supporters to
welcome the newcomers into the party by opening their hands and hearts to
them.

Other speakers at the meeting included Tenengba Jaiteh, deputy Minister of
Petroleum, APRC National Mobiliser and Mayor of the Kanifing Municipality,
Yamkuba Colley, Hon. Njie Darboe, APRC desk officer and National Assembly
Member for Jarra West constituency, among others.
Author: *Lamin B. Darboe*
Source: *Picture: Yankuba Colley (APRC National Mobiliser)*


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GOD BLESS THE GAMBIA.
LET US JOIN HANDS AND SUPPORT SHEIKH PROFESSOR DR. ALH YAHYA JAMMEH (NASIRU
DEEN) TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY. *


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