President Barrow made his first-time comments in his televised New Year message since the news of the alleged coup plot against his government broke out.
Commenting on the issue, President Barrow said: “It is regrettable that a handful of soldiers recently planned to overthrow the democratically elected government of the day. The devastating consequences of illegally overthrowing a constitutionally elected government can never justify the means employed nor the ill-advised purposes for such deadly crimes. Gambians have lived through a military regime, and they know how military takeovers have destabilized, disunited and isolated countries within the sub-region that struggle to live with them.”
According to the Commander -In- Chief of the Gambia Armed Forces, the Gambia is a multiparty democracy, and citizens can legally contest for public office if they wish. To do otherwise amounts to treason and carries severe penalties.
“I thank and commend the Intelligence Service and the GAF High Command for boldly and promptly taking action to foil the plot. They have demonstrated that if we are united and vigilant as patriotic citizens, we will safely defend our country and continue our development programs. These are times for national reconciliation and consolidation of our democratic institutions, and not time to revert to lawlessness, subversion, and unconstitutional tendencies.”
” Because there are effective measures to ensure that justice prevails, all unlawful acts, mob justice inclusive, will not be tolerated. Wherever we may be, we must take charge to make our environment safe and maintain peace, law and order.”
