By Yankuba Jallow
Samuel Sarr, the Secretary to the PDOIS’ Information Bureau said his party’s Transformative Agenda is seeking depart from decades of copying programmes from other countries.
Sarr said their programme for development which seeks to bring about system change in the country, has answers to the problems of the Gambia.
Sarr was speaking at the launch of the PDOIS Transformative Agenda on Tuesday, 25th May. The Transformative Agenda is the party’s manifesto ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections.
Below is the full text of the speech delivered by Mr Sarr.
“This day is an important day for this country because on this day we are launching a manifesto – a manifesto of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism [PDOIS].
A manifesto is simply a promise – the programmes, the policies [and] the action plan that the party intends to execute when it is elected – if the presidential candidate is elected. This is why it is significant in particular for the party [PDOIS] is calling for “System Change”.
All these years – for decades – since 1965 we have various regimes. The concern has been how to borrow ideas; to copy from elsewhere to experiment. That is not the way. We are not copycats. We are scientists. We have knowledgeable people. We analyse concrete situations, concrete conditions and come up with solutions.
It is significant that this document we call our manifesto be digested by every party member and activists so that you will be able to spread the message.
Many people will say we associate ourselves to this particular party based on sentiments. We want every Gambian citizen to be sovereign. We want every Gambian to be able to analyse the situation in which we are and support the party on the basis of its programme.
When we talk about agriculture and we talk about various aspects of the economy, the manifesto has addressed the problems. We have many talking about commercialisation of agriculture. Though we cannot continue to accept individual farmers using back-breaking such as the hoe in which you produce very little, earn very little income and suffer a lot. So, poverty will continue and that is what precisely what we want to overcome. We want to overcome poverty. We want to eradicate it. There is no reason why we should continue on that path. Mechanisation of agriculture is the way forward and not commercialisation. It is mechanisation without tears.
We are dealing not only with the economic situation, but also the political situation – how to empower the people, social issues – how do we get women out of poverty. How to bring an end to the “backway” and unemployment? All issues are addressed. Businesses are facing problems nowadays and these issues have been treated by the manifesto.
This manifesto provides solutions that accommodate everybody. All we need is to unite under this programme and move ahead. One Gambia, One Nation, One People. Thank you very much.”
