GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP
PROGRESS will usher in a new era of clean, efficient governance. We recognize
that government exists to serve the people, not itself. One of our first steps will
be to streamline the structures of government for maximum efficiency and
minimum waste. The current bloated cabinet of 20 ministries will be consolidated into 8 lean, functional ministries. Overlapping portfolios will be merged to eliminate duplication of roles and cut down on bureaucratic red tape. Certain ministries that are not essential for cabinet-level oversight will be downgraded to directorates run by competent technocrats, reporting to the relevant ministries.
Additionally, the Vice-President’s role will be merged with other ministerial
portfolios. By reducing the size of government, we will not only save public funds but also improve coordination and service delivery. A leaner government is a smarter, more responsive government, one that spends money on public needs instead of maintaining unnecessary offices.
ELIMINATING EXCESS AND PRIVILEGE AMONG POLITICAL
ELITE As we rationalize government structures, we will also end the culture of excessand privilege among public officials. PROGRESS will review and rein in the extravagant emoluments and perks enjoyed by the political elite. Ministers and Directors of State Owned Enterproses will no longer have multiple luxury vehicles and a cascade of allowances at taxpayer expense. Each Minister will be limited to a single official vehicle used strictly for official duties, and unnecessary perks like fuel allowances and first-class travel will be eliminated. Our expenditure must match our reality as a country. All ministerial salaries and benefits will be transparently recorded and subject to regular review so that public servants are fairly compensated but not excessively pampered. We will enforce 6 strict accountability for the use of any government resources: if an official misuses public funds or property, they will face disciplinary action and be made to repay the misused funds. By curbing waste and luxury at the top, we free up resources for the people and set a tone of integrity and humility in public service.
DECLARING CORRUPTION AS A NATIONAL EMMERGENCY
Fighting corruption is at the heart of our agenda for good governance. For decades, corruption has crippled development and eroded public trust in The Gambia.
PROGRESS will declare corruption as a national emergency from day one. We
will establish an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission with full powers to
investigate, arrest, and prosecute corrupt officials, operating under the oversight of the National Assembly to ensure it is free from executive interference. Past audit reports and commissions of inquiry that have exposed corruption will no longer gather dust. We will enforce their findings and recommendations to the letter. Instead of allowing endless, costly commissions to delay justice, our government will pursue swift, time-bound criminal investigations to bring offenders to court. Penalties for corrupt practices will be dramatically increased to deter would-be offenders and demonstrate that graft has no place in our public institutions. We will also empower the Auditor General and other oversight bodies to act decisively when wrongdoing is found.
A NEW CULTURE OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
However, ending corruption is not only about punishing the guilty; it is about preventing misconduct from taking root. PROGRESS will promote a culture of transparency and ethical service through proactive measures. This includes mandatory ethics training for civil servants and strong protections for whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing. Every civil servant will be required to declare their assets when they assume office, providing a baseline for their wealth. At the end of their term or periodically during service, those assets will 7 be reviewed. If someone’s wealth vastly exceeds what they could lawfully earn, they will be compelled to account for the discrepancy. In this way, we ensure that public office is not abused for private gain, and honest officials are protected while dishonest ones are exposed. Public service will be a privilege and an honor once more, a domain for those who want to contribute, not those who want to enrich themselves.
THE CONSTITUTION WE WANT Our commitment to good governance also means strengthening the foundations of our democracy and the rule of law. Gambians have made clear their desire for a new constitution that reflects their aspirations, especially after a widely consulted draft constitution was produced at great expense only to be shelved. PROGRESS will not let this effort go in vain: within our first year in office, we will revive and enact the new constitution that the people have asked for. This supreme law will entrench term limits, checks and balances, and fundamental rights that guard against the abuse of power.
FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMISSION WHITE PAPERS AND AUDIT REPORTS
At the same time, we will implement all recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and other investigative bodies to reckon with past abuses and prevent their recurrence. A dedicated task force will recover stolen assets identified in inquiries like the Janneh Commission, ensuring that those who looted our nation’s wealth are held accountable. Recovered funds and properties will be transparently managed and redirected to public use. For example, the former regime’s lavish residence at Kanilai will be converted into a public museum and community center, transforming a symbol of oppression into a space for education, remembrance, 8 and tourism. By learning from our past and enshrining justice in law, we build a governance system that is fair, accountable, and trusted by citizens.
DEPOLITICIZATION OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND INSTITUTIONS
Another pillar of accountable leadership is the depoliticization of public officers and institutions. PROGRESS will remove party politics from the day-to-day operations of governance. The civil service, security forces, and local administrations will be professionalized so that hiring and promotion are based on merit rather than political loyalty. We will abolish practices that give unfair advantage to any party in power. For instance, the tradition of the President’s “Meet the People” tour, currently a taxpayer-funded roadshow for the ruling party will either be scrapped or reformed so it cannot be abused for partisan campaigning. All Alkalos and Chiefs will be depoliticized, and Governorship will be completely and totally removed from our system of decentralization by law. The President and all public officials must serve all Gambians, regardless of party, and resources meant for development will never be used as political gifts. After elections, a PROGRESS-led government will govern in the interest of national unity, not vengeance or favoritism. The presidency is not a partisan prize; it is a responsibility to the entire nation.
TRUE DECENTRALISATION AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
Local government will be overhauled so that it serves communities, not political camps. The current arrangement, inherited from a colonial-era mindset, has too often turned councils into arenas for destructive political infighting instead of local development. Our approach is to depoliticise local governance and rebuild it from the ground up, starting where the people are. At the foundation of this new system will be Village Development Committees (VDCs). Every village, ward or neighbourhood will elect its own VDC through an open, democratic process. 9 These committees will be deliberately inclusive, with seats for women, young people, elders and persons with disabilities, so that local priorities are not decided by a few loud voices but reflect the full community. From this strong base, representation will move upward in a way that keeps leaders close to the people.
Higher-level local bodies will be formed from, and answerable to, these grassroots structures, so that those who speak for a community are people who have actually served it. In this way, leadership will be judged by ideas, competence and service records, not by party colours. To end the abuse of local revenues for partisan purposes, revenue collection will be centralised and then shared back to regions and localities through a transparent, automatic formula. This guarantees fairness, makes planning easier, and ensures that no community is punished or neglected because of politics. To further cut costs and minimise political tension, national elections will be held on the same day. Altogether, this reform will produce a local government system that is people-centred, development-focused and firmly rooted in VDCs as the democratic foundation of governance.
It is time for real PROGRESS.
Join the call to action and the promise to secure our nation’s future. It is time to move forward as one nation with one goal.