THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S SPEECH TO NATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000126

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON SOCI KMCA EPET GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENT JAMMEH'S SPEECH TO NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY

REF: A. BANJUL 101


B. BANJUL 124

C. BANJUL 81 AND PREVIOUS (ALL NOTAL)

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Classified By: Ambassador Joseph Stafford, reason 1.4 (b and d)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) An unusually subdued President Jammeh delivered his
annual address March 2 marking the National Assembly's
opening session for 2007. Providing a broad overview of GOTG
actions in 2006 and plans for 2007, he highlighted the GOTG's
getting back on track with the IMF, while omitting any
mention of the disarray in the strategic groundnut sector.
Jammeh spoke of preparations by Canadian firm, Buried Hill
Energy, to begin exploratory drilling for oil and indicated
that the GOTG was reviewing applications for exploration
licenses submitted by other firms. Discussing the GOTG's
public health programs, he made no mention of his personal
treatment of HIV/AIDS and asthma patients. Jammeh refrained
from his familiar anti-Western diatribes, but did weave in an
implicit swipe at the West via his assertion that the GOTG's
relations with other countries were guided by the principle
of "non-interference in internal affairs." Jammeh's speech
was most notable for its omissions, and his failure to refer
to his self-proclaimed healing powers may presage an easing
up on his initiative. END SUMMARY


OPENING OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION
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2. (SBU) On March 2, President Yahya Jammeh delivered his
customary address to the National Assembly to mark the
opening of its 2007 session. His 45-minute speech was
considerably shorter than in previous years, and was largely
devoid of the bombast, harangues, and attacks on the
opposition and media often found in the volatile leader's
utterances. Voicing the overall theme of the GOTG's
commitment to the country's development, Jammeh reviewed the
government's economic, social, and other portfolios one by
one, providing a predictably upbeat overview of the
government's actions in 2006 and plans for 2007.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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3. (SBU) Discussing the Gambian economy, Jammeh assessed the
agricultural sector as performing "reasonably well" in 2006,
citing increased production of cereals and the traditional
cash crop, groundnuts -- while avoiding any mention of the
disarray in groundnut marketing efforts in recent years. He
went on to speak of GOTG's efforts to promote tourism -- the
country's leading source of foreign exchange -- and boost the
telecommunications sector, repeating his familiar pledge to
transform The Gambia into a "Silicon Valley." Jammeh
expressed satisfaction with the IMF's recent approval of a
new PRGF for The Gambia (ref a),while pledging further
liberalization of the trade and investment environment. He
described at length the GOTG's efforts to expand the
country's electrical grid as well as water supplies,
particularly in rural areas.


4. (SBU) Turning to oil, he noted preparations for
exploratory drilling here by the Canadian firm, Buried Hill
Energy, the sole firm so far to have obtained a petroleum
exploration license. Jammeh stated that the GOTG was
reviewing applications for exploration licenses submitted by
other (unnamed) foreign firms and that the GOTG would
encourage oil exploration onshore as well as in the currently
demarcated offshore areas. He spoke of proposing amendments
to the Petroleum Act of 2004 designed to encourage foreign
investment in the country's oil sector. (COMMENT: Details on
these amendments are scarce; according to local media
reports, the measures were subsequently approved by the
National Assembly, and we gather they provide for additional
incentives to firms willing to obtain oil exploration
licenses. END COMMENT)

SOCIAL POLICY
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5. (SBU) Jammeh's discussion of the GOTG's public health
programs was most noteworthy for his failure to mention his
own initiative to treat HIV/AIDS and asthma patients (ref b).
On education, he highlighted, inter alia, the ongoing
development of The Gambia's sole university, established a
few years ago as well the GOTG's success in establishing
male-female parity in enrollment among primary-level students.


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DEFENSE, INTERNAL SECURITY, AND FOREIGN POLICY
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6. (SBU) Jammeh spoke of The Gambia's enjoying "peace and
stability in the midst of social upheavals within the
sub-region and beyond," saying the GOTG was determined to
expand the capabilities of its security and military forces
to ensure the maintenance of internal security and order. He
reaffirmed the GOTG's commitment to providing forces for
foreign peacekeeping operations.


7. (SBU) Jammeh refrained from his usual accusations of a
hypocritical West alternately exploiting and neglecting
Africa. However, he did weave in an implicit anti-Western
theme with his assertions that The Gambia's relations with
another country would be based on, inter alia,
"non-interference in the internal affairs of each other" and
that "nobody, no power will impose his political will or
ideology on The Gambia." Jammeh identified promotion of
African solidarity and South-South cooperation as among key
Gambian foreign policy objectives. He made no mention of The
Gambia's evolving relationship with Iran (ref c).

COMMENT
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8. (C) Jammeh's speech was most notable for its omissions,
e.g., regarding his HIV/AIDS treatment program, and its
perfunctory quality was in sharp contrast to his National
Assembly address last year, when he frequently departed from
the prepared text to deliver anti-Western outbursts. This
time, he rarely departed from the text and gave the
impression of lacking enthusiasm in reciting a list of GOTG
actions and plans in the various fields that was notably
short on specifics. Like us, our contacts are at a loss to
explain the mercurial Jammeh's relatively subdued behavior on
this occasion, beyond observing that his failure to mention
his HIV/AIDS and asthma treatment programs may indicate his
easing up on his medical initiative amidst rumors of
patients' deteriorating health and possibly death (ref b).
END COMMENT
STAFFORD