Empty stadium greets Jammeh and his 20th Anniversary |
2001 Inauguration of Jammeh's 2nd term |
Full capacity of the Independence Stadium is 33,000 which was filled to capacity only on two occasions - a match between Gambia and Senegal and Jammeh's first Inaugural address in 1994.
The low level of attendance of the "celebrations" is further evidence that the Gambia population is more concern about the state of the economy that is in steady state of decline with high level of unemployment, especially among a youthful population.
The A(F)PRC regimes' staunchest constituents have been women and young people. This demography has also been the most reliable until in the recent past when it became clear that Jammeh cannot deliver on his previous promises of creating jobs for the youth and women.
Currently youth unemployment is 70% and growing which has led thousands of young Gambians using the "Back Way" in search of financial and economic freedoms for their parents and for themselves. Unemployment numbers are not the only ones on the rise.
Both the incidences of rural and urban poverty are on the increase since 1994. The overall poverty figure is around 65% from 50% twenty years ago. Thanks to the bad, incomprehensible and disjointed set of economic policies of the Jammeh regime, the youth and women have been the victims even though they were the pillars of the so-called revolution.
The youth and women of The Gambia have finally come to terms with the fact that their support of the Jammeh regime was misplaced and they are beginning to distance themselves from this vile, inept and corrupt regime. Their boycott of the "celebrations" is confirmation of a dawn of a new day. THANK YOU GAMBIA.