Hi Mr Touray,
    What  are you on  about, mate?

[log in to unmask] wrote:

> " 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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