By Tabora Bojang
As the political fever boils towards the presidential election in December, Unite party leader and KM Mayor Talib Bensounda is hopeful of ending the ruling NPP’s dominance in the Upper River Region.
Speaking to The Standard about a recent tour of the region which he said took him to 20 villages, Bensouda said he was extremely surprised by the warm reception and Unite’s growing support among URR residents.
“We were pleasantly surprised because the popular belief is that URR is an NPP stronghold but we were surprised to find out that is quite the contrary. We found that Unite is well established and it is the fastest growing political party within the URR. The reception was amazing for us. People came out in their hundreds and we received a very warm embrace from every village we went to and based on conversation we had with elders, women and youth, we found that URR is hungry for change,” Bensouda stated.
He pointed out that contrary to the belief that URR enjoys unprecedented development under Barrow, most families continue to face critical risks regarding poverty, food insecurity, high cost of living, insecurity and constant blackouts.
He said the region also faces high unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for women especially those in the gardens and the farms.
The mayor said most people wrongly judged that because he is mayor of Kanifing, that is where Unite stops. He said the Unite now has a national presence.