The leader of the National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM), Lamin Waa Juwara, has described the recently concluded 'Dialogue with the people tour' by President Jammeh as a success.

Speaking to the Daily Observer, Juwara said the reception by the people throughout the president's countrywide tour was national in character, and it went beyond the partisan level as people from all walks of life, young and old, male and female, came out to welcome the Gambian leader and his entourage. The NDAM leader said the success of the president's tour of the country was amply manifested in all the meetings he held and reflected in the speeches delivered by the people.

Juwara, who said he was among those who went to welcome the president in Niamina, and was part of the Jareng meeting in Niamina East, hoped that during next year's 'Dialogue with the people tour,' other opposition personalities will grace the occasions. "In a nation that is reconciled with itself there will be no place for the opposition fighting the government and the government fighting the opposition. Gambian politics must be dictated by constructive engagement and I think the time has come for Africans to do away with donkey politics," he remarked.

He went on to say that his desire is for Gambia to be a pace setter where both the governing party and the opposition parties coexist peacefully. He recalled that since the political parties signed a memorandum of understanding, there had been no longer any room for personal political ambitions, something he said that could destroy the country's peace and democracy.

Juwara who strongly believes that President Jammeh has honoured the MOU signed between the ruling party and the opposition, said that the latter have been engaging in activities aimed at dragging the agreement therein, "thinking that they will make political capital out of the situation." President Jammeh's recent tour, he noted, has demonstrated that political differences have taken secondary, and that national unity has become the primary concern of the Gambian leader.

He further said there is no room for power struggle in The Gambia, noting that the Gambian people are quite aware of the importance of politics of development, as has been the repeated call by the president throughout his tour. He pointed to the fact that the rural communities are enjoying pipe-borne water and electricity supply, "which had been a distant dream for them." The rural electrification programme, he stressed, is already a reality as there are many other projects either completed or being constructed. And also the road networks in the Kombo Coastal Area and in both the North and South Banks of the country are in progress.

In education, he said, apart from the fact the country can now boast of a university, it is also reassuring to note that there are lower and upper basic schools  all across the country. "Information is within the reach of every Gambian, GRTS has gone on satellite and President Jammeh's statement that all hands must be on deck and that every Gambian has a role in the development of the country is clear manifestation of his commitment and love for the country," he said.

Juwara added that among the most important achievements of this government is the restructuring of the Department of Agriculture to tackle "the politics of the belly" and provide food security in The Gambia.