GAMBIA-L, Below is the APRC Elections Manifesto. Get the full text and pictures at www.jammeh2001.org. (APRC) ManifestO 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Empowerment of The People Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ The Gambia, its People and Development Objectives ..................................................................... Democracy and Governance ....................................................................................................................... Human Rights ................................................................................................................................................... Attitudes ............................................................................................................................................................. Women in Development ............................................................................................................................... The Private Sector ........................................................................................................................................... The Public Sector ............................................................................................................................................ Public Enterprises ............................................................................................................................................ Accountability, Transparency and Probity ............................................................................................. Population and Standard of Living ........................................................................................................... Housing ............................................................................................................................................................ Health ................................................................................................................................................................ Education for All .......................................................................................................................................... Employment and Labour ........................................................................................................................... Agriculture and Food Security ................................................................................................................. Financing of Agricultural Ventures .......................................................................................... Macro-economic Policies .......................................................................................................................... Taxation and Tax Reform .......................................................................................................................... Energy for Development ........................................................................................................................... Trade and Industry ........................................................................................................................................ Transport .......................................................................................................................................................... Tourism ............................................................................................................................................................. Mass Media ..................................................................................................................................................... Foreign Policy ................................................................................................................................................ Youths ............................................................................................................................................................... Sports and Recreation ................................................................................................................................. Justice for All and to All ............................................................................................................................ Law and Order for Peace ........................................................................................................................... Defence and National Security ................................................................................................................ Religion and Tolerance ............................................................................................................................... Arts and Culture ............................................................................................................................................ The Second Rebublican Constitution .................................................................................................... Our Message to all Gambians .................................................................................................................. FOREWORD The principal objective of the Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction (APRC) is the "Empowerment of The People" in order that they take full control of their own destiny on the road to socio-economic development. This is the second edition of the APRC Manifesto. Ahead of the 2001 Presidential and 2002 National Assembly elections, this Manifesto seeks to inform the electorate about the policies and programmes to be implemented by the APRC government during its second term in office. This document is therefore the embodiment of the APRC’s public declaration of intent and policy for the years ahead. Since the change of government in 1994 and during the first term in office of the APRC government, observers have witnessed the birth of a NEW GAMBIA. The Gambia has seen a radical transformation of both her physical infrastructure and her people. The country has seen a proliferation of schools, the establishment of the University of The Gambia, the construction of two new hospitals, the construction of an ultra modern airport terminal, the extension of the road network and construction of bridges, the acquisition of 18 MW electricity generating capacity, the revival of the Kuntaur Rice Mill, the creation of a television service, among many others. The Gambian people have become more conscious about their rights and responsibilities through deliberate civic education programmes and general participation in policy formulation and implementation. This is the true "Empowerment of The People" which seeks to enable the private individual to realise his/her creative potentials for development in an environment devoid of restrictions. For the APRC, popular empowerment also means the curtailment of Government and the limitation of State intervention in the market and the production process to only when and where absolutely necessary. The achievements of the transition period and the first term in office of the APRC are quite evident having been widely acknowledged by diverse sources at home and abroad. The Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction is strongly committed to building on those successes in a purposeful follow-up during its second term in office and to achieve even better results. The central element in achieving the desired results is the Gambian people themselves. The burden, which this endeavour puts on the shoulders of each and every Gambian is enormous. It is however not an insurmountable challenge. What it calls for from every Gambian is profound reflection and unreserved patriotic commitment to the motherland. On the part of the APRC government it calls for effective planning and the pursuit of consistent results-oriented policies towards socio-economic development. As a Party, the APRC is strongly committed to that. The Manifesto details the Party’s policy intentions on certain issues and in various sectors including, People, Development, Democracy, Governance, Agriculture, Health, Education, Housing, Energy, Employment and Labour, Trade and Industry, Transport, Tourism, Law and Order, Justice, Defence and National Security, Religion and Tolerance. It explains the Party’s social, economic and political objectives sector by sector and lays down the operative policy framework and expounds on the Party’s strategies for realizing its objectives. We solemnly call on all Gambians to join us in the crusade to build the NEW GAMBIA under the banner of the People’s true Party, the Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction, and in the framework of its Manifesto. Together we will consolidate the achievements and bring to fruition the aspirations of all Gambians. This is a clarion call to all stakeholders in The Gambia, individuals or organisations, irrespective of tribe, religion or origin. All of us have a crucial role to play in the construction of the NEW GAMBIA, we all cherish so dearly. -SIGNED- Dr. Alhaji Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Chairman ALLIANCE FOR PATRIOTIC RE-ORIENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE GAMBIA, ITS PEOPLE AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES Over two decades of the First Republic, characterised by sterile socio-economic policies, stunted growth in the public and private sectors, misplaced priorities in public infrastructural development, compounded by an uninspiring leadership have left The Gambia trailing as one of the least developed and aid-dependent countries in the World. Change from this inglorious situation has become an inescapable imperative. The Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction (APRC) is determined to build on the remarkable achievements made since coming to power and to evolve a system of governance which will involve the people in the process of development. In recognition of the creative spirit of the individual Gambian as a catalyst towards the achievement of the common good, we pledge to empower the people in order to enable them realize their fullest potentials in a FREE and competitive environment. To the APRC, the ultimate objective of development is to liberate the Gambian people from the bondage of ignorance, disease, want, hunger, fear, dependence and exploitation to enable them build their self-esteem, develop a spirit of self-reliance and lead a dignified and fulfilled life. Our central objective is to spearhead the march towards realizing the principal target in "VISION 2020", which is: "to transform The Gambia into a financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading export-oriented agricultural and manufacturing nation, thriving on free market policies and a vibrant private sector, sustained by a well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy, self-reliant and enterprising population and guaranteeing a well-balanced eco-system and a decent standard of living for one and all under a system of government based on the consent of the citizenry". To achieve this goal we must re-order our priorities, rely more on our own human, material, financial and other resources while regarding foreign aid only as a supplement to our efforts. DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE During the First Republic, The Gambia was falsely advertised as a multi-party democracy and hailed as a model for tolerance and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Africa. On the contrary, however, the system was multi-party on paper and in form only. In essence, substance and effect it was a one-party system that ousted sanity, frowned on dissent, disregarded institutional checks and balances, promoted patron-client relationship that gave rise to nepotism, rampant corruption and encouraged ethnic considerations in the management of public affairs. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedom was only a cliché while accountability was unpardonably compromised. The APRC pledges to build a NEW GAMBIA that is characterised by good governance, genuine democracy and freedom for our people. The New Gambian society will be one in which our people will be: (a) Free to participate in the process of national development; (b) Free to choose who governs them and in what way; (c) Free to say what they think and exchange ideas in a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect; (d) Free to determine the socio-economic and political atmosphere within which to pursue their development objectives without dictation from any external sources; (e) Free to know what the Government does in their name and on their behalf; and (f) Free to demand accountability, transparency and probity in public life and to determine their choice of laws, rules and regulations that govern their lives. Our democracy will not be a copy of any outside model. Rather, it would be inspired by our own history, our cultural diversity and the heterogeneity of our society. In a nutshell, it will be a democracy, which will recognise our socio-cultural realities as a people and a country. HUMAN RIGHTS The APRC regards human rights as indivisible and symbiotic in their relationship. We also consider that the most essential human rights, in our present socio-economic circumstances, are those which guarantee the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, education, medical care, clean water and environment, work and the opportunity to live and develop in a free society and in peace and dignity. The APRC pledges to work assiduously towards making these rights accessible to all Gambians. The APRC also pledges to uphold and defend the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Second Republic, particularly, the right to life, personal liberty, property, freedom of speech, association, assembly, movement, privacy, equality before the law and freedom of a responsible press. We, as a people, must however know where our rights end and where other peoples’ rights begin. The various rights and freedoms must however be exercised with due regard to our duties to the State. ATTITUDES The culture of "maslaha", greed, corruption, nepotism, patronage, extravagance and conspicuous consumption has militated against our process of development in several ways while the extended family system has created a system of dependence of the majority on the few. This has promoted laziness, covetousness, and a general laissez-faire attitude that is not conducive to development. The APRC would formulate policies that would reward enterprise and eliminate these negative tendencies from the New Gambian society. The erroneous notion of Government as the all-provider and all-doer ("Mansa Kunda") has no place in the New Gambia the APRC is determined to build. The APRC would seek to inculcate into Gambians the ideals of self-reliance and hard work. Through civic education, public information and communication programmes, the APRC would aim at awakening Gambians to the realization that they are all stakeholders in The Gambia and must therefore participate in the production, preservation, maintenance and protection of the nation’s resources. WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT The importance of the economic role of women in national development cannot be over emphasized. The APRC recognizes that no national development programme would be successful without the effective participation and full support of women. They are indispensable partners in The Gambia’s development process. The APRC shall pursue its deliberate policy of empowering Gambian women by appointing qualified and capable women into positions of authority and decision-making in the Administration. During the APRC’s first term in office, the appointment of a female Vice President and female Secretaries of State, a female Secretary General and Permanent Secretaries, a female Auditor General and Accountant General is testimony of the APRC Government’s recognition of the critical role of women in the development process. All forms of gender inequality will be eliminated and women will have access to and control of factors of production as well as appropriate skills training. The APRC government shall also take steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, reduce illiteracy among women and improve the quality and access to health care services. THE PRIVATE SECTOR The APRC recognizes the Private Sector as the true engine of socio-economic development growth. Without a vibrant private sector there cannot be any meaningful development. For this reason, the APRC government during its first term in office has put in place policies that seek to enhance the role of the private sector, and unleash their creative potentials. Tanji Cold Storage The APRC government has passed into law the Investment Promotion Act and the Free Zones Act, established a one-stop-shop called Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zones Agency (GIPFZA) and institutionalised the Economic Summit as a forum for Public–Private Sector dialogue on economic management issues. All these actions seek to create that conducive environment needed for the Private Sector to thrive in. The APRC would not relent in its drive to create the most enabling environment to stimulate private sector activities and to encourage both domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in The Gambia. The APRC government will limit itself strictly to the provision of public goods and services and would encourage private Gambian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the space left by it through its divestiture programme. The APRC strongly believes that the public and private sectors both have the same objective – that is to improve the welfare of the Gambian people. The APRC government will therefore collaborate and work effectively with the private sector to achieve that objective. The Party recognises the importance of the private sector in economic development and growth will put in place measures to further enhance a friendly environment for business and economic operators. The APRC realizes that the objectives of the National Vision 2020 together with the goals of sustainable economic development the private sector must play a leading role hence the APRC through the coordination of the existing trade, industrial, competition and investment policies would enhance effective and productive private participation in the economy. It is expected that such policies will enhance growth in the agriculture, fisheries and natural resources, manufacturing and tourism sectors, and promote exports of Gambian products. The overall aim is to provide employment and increased income for Gambians. The APRC will continue to improve the existing infrastructures that facilitate both domestic and foreign trade such as the seaport and airport, roads, and telecommunications for eventual private sector growth and sustainable development THE PUBLIC SECTOR Notwithstanding the key role assigned to the private sector as the engine of growth, achieving our development objectives will be impossible without an efficient, committed, well-trained, well-motivated and dedicated public service. The APRC will continue the policy of developing the capacity of the Civil Service to enable them offer institutional and infrastructural support to the private sector. The delivery of social services by public sector institutions is crucial to rapid development. Appropriate incentive schemes will also be introduced in order to motivate public servants and improve their performance. Performance will be appraised and rewarded appropriately. The incentive schemes will, among other things, include training, both short and long term, and periodic salary increases in order to maintain the purchasing power of public servants. The APRC government will vigorously pursue its efforts to streamline and rationalise government operations in order to stamp out red tape and bureaucracy. GRTS Headquaters PUBLIC ENTERPRISES The APRC is committed to a lean and efficient public sector. One of the strategies to be implemented in order to achieve that objective is through the implementation of cautious and judicious divestiture programme. There is however no gainsaying that some public enterprises provide services that require them to remain public institutions. These public enterprises would be made to continue to operate on commercial lines to improve on their productivity. The challenge to these institutions is for them to play their vital role as forerunners of economic and financial efficiency while providing adequate infrastructural and social services to the private sector. The APRC government will ensure that the public enterprises stand up to that challenge. Pro-active Boards will be set up within Public Enterprises to work closely with the respective line Departments of State in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategic plans for the public sector. The ultimate goal is for the public enterprises to create optimum value for all stakeholders in their assets and activities. ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND PROBITY The APRC considers probity in public life as one of the most essential pre-requisites for effective running of the public service. We also strongly believe that accountability is an indispensable factor in public administration and that transparency in public affairs is imperative in order to maintain confidence in the public service and to justify the enormous sacrifices Gambians are called upon to make for the public good. The APRC would formalize a set of rules and regulations that would make the Public Service accountable to the people and make it less profitable for public officers to indulge in corrupt practices. The Commissions of Inquiry would eventually be moulded into a single institution to investigate and punish illegal and dishonest acquisition of property and wealth. POPULATION AND STANDARD OF LIVING The population growth rate of 4.1 per cent in a country classified as one of the least developed in the world is alarming considering the size of our land surface area and the resources at our disposal, especially when this growth rate outstrips our economic growth. Basic infrastructure and social amenities are still at a rudimentary stage and the standard of living of the population (particularly the rural population) is, by world standards, extremely low. Production in the major sectors of the economy is yet to attain modern standards while productivity growth and income levels for the same sectors are far below world averages. Undoubtedly, some of the factors affecting our population growth include a high fertility rate, a decreasing rate of mortality and migration both within our borders and from neighbouring countries. The APRC will elaborate strategies to promote middle-sized households through the National Population Programme in order to improve the capacity of the individual to earn enough income and improve his standard of living. Access to birth spacing services would be greatly enhanced with emphasis on the education of Women since educated Women are better able to slow population growth through prescribed methods. However, a campaign for a change in male attitudes becomes inevitable in this regard. Efforts to encourage population planning will be directed at men as well. The APRC will improve efforts to control migration from outside our borders without compromising our commitments to ECOWAS while creating appropriate conditions for a proper integration of foreigners who have legal residence in The Gambia. HOUSING The prevailing demographic trends, rapid urbanization and concentration of the urban population have increased the demand for decent housing to alarming proportions. As shelter is a fundamental human right, the APRC will accord sufficient urgency to this titanic problem by first reviewing the National Housing Policy formulated in 1989 to bring it in line with current realities. Attention will be focused on solving the immediate problems of inadequate access to land for housing, dependence on imported building materials, the manpower and technical limitation of the construction industry and the need for specialized housing finance institutions such as housing banks and housing cooperatives. In order to increase the housing stock of the urban centres, the APRC will encourage commercial estate developers, both public and private, by providing them with state land in designated areas. In addition, fiscal incentives will be provided to those estate developers catering for the need of the low-income group. The APRC will address the inequities of state land allocation for residential purposes and formulate legislation that will provide for everybody’s need not for everybody’s greed. HEALTH Before the advent of the APRC government, the health sector faced some major constraints including shortage of trained nurses, doctors and health professionals, inadequate transport and storage facilities for the provision and accessibility of drugs, insufficient coordination of programmes and inadequate coordination of donor assistance. During its first term in office, the APRC has given top priority to these problems and has taken practical steps to address them. The APRC government sought assistance from friendly countries in the form of trained medical personnel and financial resources in order to guarantee an accessible and affordable health delivery system for all Gambians. The results are fantastic and unprecedented in the history of The Gambia! In August 2001, there are 313 foreign health personnel (i.e. doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and pharmacists) and 21 Gambian medical doctors operating not only in all government dispensaries, minor health centres and major health centres but also in many villages spread throughout the country. For the first time in the history of this country, villagers have the services of a doctor at their doorsteps. In order to sustain this feat and reduce the heavy dependence on foreign doctors, the APRC government has also established a School of Medicine under the University of The Gambia. In the next five years, this School will turn out Gambian trained doctors who will take care of their kin and kindred. The APRC strongly believes that a sick nation cannot be productive and that any meaningful and sustainable socio-economic development programme would necessarily require a healthy people. The health of our people is our primary concern as a Party and we will leave no stone unturned in improving the health care delivery system in The Gambia. To this end, the APRC will continue to update the infrastructure in the Primary Health Care System with the objective of further reducing infant and maternal mortality rates and expanding the system to cover more villages. The goal of the APRC is to provide quality health care services and management practices within an enabling environment, delivered by appropriately and adequately trained, skilled and motivated personnel at all levels of care with the involvement of all stakeholders to ensure a healthy population. The APRC will continue its efforts to address the infrastructure and logistic requirements of the health services and will ensure the provision of essential care packages at all levels of the health delivery system. A new hospital will be built in SerreKunda and 10 new health centres will be built around the country. These are in addition to the four new health facilities (Farafenni, Bwiam, Bundung and Soma) built by the APRC government during its first term in office. The Party will also empower communities to be active partners in the management of their health and will integrate traditional medicine into the formal health sector. EDUCATION FOR ALL One of the threats to rapid socio-economic development is ignorance. The APRC will continue its war against illiteracy in order to achieve its triple objective of making education not only accessible, but also relevant and of good quality. We will construct more classrooms and more schools and will create conditions to enhance the policy of Education-For-All with a view to providing at least nine years of uninterrupted basic education for all enrolled pupils in our School System. In particular, the APRC will adopt measures that will encourage the education of the girl child. Scholarships will be awarded to deserving pupils to pursue further education in higher institutions both within and outside this country. For those who do not wish to or are unable to continue beyond Grade 9, Skills Centres will be opened to enable them learn various skills/trades conducive to our national development effort. PEACE Tombong _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------