United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainu Darboe has questioned President Adama Barrow's promise to increase civil servants' salaries by 30 percent if re-elected, arguing that farmers, who he said are struggling under rising production costs, have been left out of the government's plans.
Addressing supporters during a Ding kunglio in Jarra Jalenbereh, Mr Darboe described the December presidential election as a defining moment for the country, urging voters to back the UDP, which he said offered the best chance of addressing The Gambia's economic and agricultural challenges.
He criticised the government's handling of the groundnut sector, saying farmers had continued to wait for meaningful support even after their produce was collected last year.
While acknowledging that the rising cost of essential commodities affects both ordinary citizens and government officials, Mr Darboe argued that the government had chosen to increase the salaries of senior officials instead of addressing the concerns of farmers.
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"President Barrow is saying that if he wins the election, he will increase the salaries of civil servants by 30 percent, but what has he promised the farmers who are struggling with rising production costs and the need for fertilizer?"
The UDP leader also took aim at what he described as excessive campaign spending, claiming that the president would soon tour rural communities with a large convoy of campaign vehicles. He argued that the money, which he estimated at about D50 million, would be better used to provide fertilizer free of charge to farmers.
As an alternative, Mr Darboe pointed to neighboring Senegal, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's administration introduced measures to support farmers, including subsidised fertilizer. He added that a UDP government would pursue similar policies to strengthen agricultural production in The Gambia.
The opposition leader also welcomed the People's Progressive Party's endorsement of the UDP for the December election, but insisted that political alliances alone would not secure victory.
"Even if 10 parties rally behind the UDP, if you, the people of Jalenbereh, do not give your vote to the UDP, the country will sink, and I hope you do not want the country to sink," he advised.
Mr Darboe further challenged residents to reflect on what they had gained after years of supporting the governing party, while promising that a UDP administration would focus on creating self-employment opportunities through investment in livestock production.
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