Africa-Press – Gambia. Gambia’s Minister of Information, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, has defended the recent call by Minister Ebrima Sillah for a demonstration in support of the government, asserting that criticism of such a move is fundamentally anti-democratic.
Speaking during his regular appearance on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Dr. Ceesay emphasized that democracy guarantees equal rights for all citizens—not only to protest against the government but also to demonstrate in its support.
“This is democracy. And when I see people criticizing Ebrima Sillah and those who want to organize this, I say, well, where is the democracy we are talking about? That is an anti-democratic behavior,” Dr. Ceesay stated.
Minister Ceesay also clarified that there is a misconception on this issue as it is not the government planning to organize a counter-protest, “as they call it.”
He emphasized that these citizens have the right to openly express their approval and confidence in the government.
When questioned about criticisms that protests led by a minister are inherently problematic, Minister Ceesay clarified that Ebrima Sillah is not only a minister but also a politician and a citizen.
Dr. Ceesay further explained that Minister Sillah’s actions do not represent the government’s official stance. He noted that other politicians, such as Essa Mbye Faal and Rohey Malick Lowe, also publicly supported GALA in their protest.
“If politicians can come out and support GALA and express their displeasure, it’s their right to do so. The minister wasn’t speaking for the government. That needs to be very clear. The minister was speaking as a citizen who is a politician,” he said.
Asked whether the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) is officially organizing the event, Dr. Ceesay said he had not seen any formal communication from the party but did not rule out the possibility of its involvement.
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