By Bakary Manneh
The euphoria surrounding the GALA protest against entrenched government corruption brought together Gambians across political and tribal lines, resulting in the largest protest turnout since President Barrow took office. Credit must go to the leadership of GALA for organizing such a well-coordinated demonstration. However, a critical question remains: What did the protest actually achieve beyond the symbolic act of submitting petitions to public officials?
Suppose the success of the protest is measured merely by turnout and the delivery of petitions. In that case, the unfortunate truth is this: President Barrow and his government emerge as the real winners, unless the movement commits to further action should their demands not be met within a specific and public timeframe.
GALA must come to terms with the political context in which it operates. In mature democracies, petitions often trigger resignations, public apologies, or even policy reversals. In such settings, petitions are potent instruments of accountability and reform. But The Gambia is not such a context—not yet.
The issues raised in the GALA petition are not new to President Barrow or his administration. They have long been known. What prevents meaningful action is not ignorance but political calculation. Barrow’s reluctance to act against corruption is rooted in his fear of alienating powerful allies. As a result, impunity persists.
Therefore, GALA should not measure its success by its ability to organize protests or deliver petitions. As a movement for systemic change, the benchmark for success must be government action, immediate and unconditional response to their demands. If this does not follow, then Barrow will be wrongly celebrated as a democratic leader simply for allowing protests to occur, an act already guaranteed by the constitution. The regime will exploit this narrative to score political points, masking its failure to address the very grievances that led to the protest.
As the crowd disperses and the chants fade, we now wait to see what GALA has planned next. Will it escalate its demands? Will it hold the government accountable with deadlines and follow-through?
Until then, congratulations are due, not to the people, but to President Barrow, his corrupt administration, and the NPP, for scoring yet another political point without conceding an inch.
