VZCZCXRO3264
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0117/01 0950818
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 040818Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8112
INFO RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0070
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000117 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET KDEM SOCI GA
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT JAMMEH OPENS 2008 LEGISLATIVE YEAR 
 
REFS:  (A)  BANJUL 19 (NOTAL) 
(B)  BANJUL 106 (NOTAL) 
(C)  BANJUL 109 (NOTAL) 
 
BANJUL 00000117  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (U)  On March 28, President Yahya Jammeh presided over the 
opening of the National Assembly, which marked the beginning of the 
2008 legislative year.  This year's event was the most elaborate in 
recent years and was attended by National Assembly Speakers and 
parliamentary delegations from four West African countries. 
President Jammeh used the occasion to outline his government's plans 
in various sectors of the economy, spoke out against unproductive 
men in the workforce, racism, and homosexual marriage, and provided 
an explanation for the delay in oil exploration in The Gambia.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
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A GRAND AFFAIR 
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¶2.  (U)  The National Assembly Speakers of Senegal, Mauritania and 
Guinea Bissau and a Parliamentary delegation from Nigeria were 
invited to the event by the Speaker of the Gambian National 
Assembly, Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, better known as "FJC."  FJC is 
a senior member of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation 
and Construction (APRC) and she brought the party's political 
machine into full play, making the opening of the legislative year 
into a big political event with more pomp and pageantry than usual. 
Former President Sir Dawda Jawara was also present at the ceremony, 
and was seated next to the Vice President, Isatou Njie Saidy. 
President Jammeh's acknowledged Jawara's presence with an 
introduction as "the father of the Gambian nation, ex-President Sir 
Dawda Jawara," adding, "Welcome my uncle," which drew loud applause 
from the audience. 
 
¶3.  (U)  In his speech, which was frequently punctuated by applause 
from the APRC-dominated Assembly and pro-government invitees, the 
President made a general review of progress in various sectors of 
the economy and outlined plans for the coming year.  On the subject 
of the economy, President Jammeh quoted figures cited in the 2008 
budget and said the country experienced a GDP growth rate of 6.7 
percent in 2007, inflation fell to 5.1 percent and the country's 
international reserves stand at a comfortable level of 4.5 months of 
import cover.  He maintained that the government would continue to 
promote a strategy of careful management of the country's external 
debt to finance the priorities under its current Poverty Reduction 
and Strategy Paper (PRSP), though he made no mention of the 
country's recent attainment of debt relief measures, which he has 
derided in the past (ref A). 
 
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AGRICULTURE 
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¶4.  (U)  Regarding the all-important agricultural sector, which he 
recently brought under his portfolio (ref B), President Jammeh 
announced that agriculture would be transformed from a seasonal 
activity dependent on seasonal rainfalls into year-round activity 
"taking full advantage of the new technologies available." Without 
giving specific details, he said his government would exploit the 
potential of the Gambia River and underground water resources, as 
well as water harvesting, to ensure that irrigation agriculture 
become a way of life.  "Under my leadership, as the Secretary of 
State, agriculture will be given a new lease of life," he declared, 
indicating that his tenure as Agriculture Minister would not be as 
temporary as previously believed. 
 
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PETROLEUM EXPLORATION 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  On the subject of efforts to exploit The Gambia's purported 
offshore oil reserves, the President said that drilling of the first 
exploration well in the two off-shore blocks that are licensed to a 
Canadian company, Buried Hill, would commence in 2009.  He disclosed 
that his government is also negotiating with other companies for 
exploration and development activities in the remaining offshore 
blocks, the ultra-deep, near-shore, and onshore areas.  President 
Jammeh, who recently took over the petroleum portfolio as well (ref 
C), said the delay in oil exploration was due to the fact that the 
conditions proposed by some of the companies were not acceptable to 
him.  "When these companies tell me that other countries are 
accepting five percent share of their oil revenue, I tell them that 
this is The Gambia and we look at what favors us," he said. 
 
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SIDEBAR 
 
BANJUL 00000117  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
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¶6.  (U)  The President drifted from his prepared text on a number of 
occasions to address, in typical Jammeh fashion, issues that none of 
the government departments would have included in their submissions. 
For example, he spoke about introducing what he called an 
"Extra-Wife Tax" for men who wish to marry young girls because they 
feel their first wives have become old.  Jammeh thanked women for 
providing bedrock support for his development efforts, noting that 
as the reason why he had "rewarded many women with top jobs" in the 
government, and berated men who do not contribute to the workforce. 
Urging import-dependent Gambians to consume locally-produced goods, 
he encouraged them to also wear locally-made clothing.  To the 
amusement of his audience, Jammeh, who has abandoned Western dress, 
added: "We will introduce a tie-tax for those of you wearing suits 
and ties."  He also went on to warn that racism and gay marriage had 
no place in The Gambia.  His only reference to the "West" and the 
United States was an expression of thanks to the United Kingdom and 
the U.S. (as well as the Government of Taiwan) for assistance in 
training The Gambia's military and police. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶7.  (SBU)  Although the State Opening of the National Assembly is a 
constitutional duty for the President, this year's event was more 
significant for its sub-regional political objectives than the 
substance of the President's speech.  Some observers believe that 
the National Assembly speakers from other countries were invited as 
part of a strategy to help break Jammeh's isolation from the 
majority of his peers in the sub-region.  President Jammeh has not 
attended a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS) in three years since losing a bid for the chairmanship 
against President Tandja of Niger. Jammeh is also displeased with 
the ECOWAS Community Court for hearing a case against the GOTG over 
the disappearance of journalist "Chief" Ebrima Manneh.  However, 
Jammeh has begun to travel again in the region, and reveled in the 
visit of the Mauritanian President earlier this year, perhaps seeing 
it as a sign of growing acceptance amongst his regional peers. 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Though this was one of Jammeh's more tempered speeches in 
recent memory, it spoke little to the actual agenda of the National 
Assembly in the new legislative year.  Aside from the long-awaited 
Women's Bill that Post expects to be brought to the floor in the 
coming months, we have little sense of what to expect in terms of 
new legislation -- though it is likely that the APRC-dominated 
National Assembly will continue its current policy of rubberstamping 
the President's wishes.  END COMMENT 
 
WELLS