By Kemo Kanyi, on Tour
President Adama Barrow has commenced his nationwide Meet the People Tour, aimed at engaging communities on their pressing challenges and obtaining first-hand information about their needs across the country.
The constitutionally mandated annual tour is expected to last 19 days and will include 21 general meetings, 24 site visits and seven inaugural and handover ceremonies.
During the tour, the president is also expected to inspect ongoing road projects, health facilities, and agricultural and fisheries projects.
Speaking to reporters in Barra, President Barrow urged Gambians to take collective responsibility for ensuring that the December presidential election is peaceful, transparent and successful.
He called on citizens to conduct themselves responsibly, campaign peacefully and exercise their right to vote for candidates of their choice.
“Definitely, I think that will be my sincere message to Gambians. But we have a lot of development packages to be delivered to them. We will reveal those packages and tell them our achievements,” President Barrow told reporters.
He also emphasised the importance of mobilising support at the grassroots ahead of the elections, saying that opposition leaders who had joined his political camp had demonstrated confidence in his ability to deliver development.
President Barrow said political actors should work together as partners to advance the country’s development.