I begin by congratulating Gambians for successfully taking another step towards bringing our country back, this time electing national assembly members to serve as the legislative branch of government. Special congratulations to the United Democratic Party (UDP) who won 31 of the 53 districts up for grabs. The results leave no doubts about which party has the most loyal voters and they now enjoy a significant majority in the parliament, enough to legally bully their way through any legislation if all their members of parliament choose to vote together. Over the past few days, the UDP supporters have been celebrating their well-earned victory. Like many Gambians, one particular celebration caught my attention and is the focus of this piece. UDP leader, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe is on video speaking to supporters before bursting into song at the end. Now, i know it’s become taboo to even bat an eyelid at Darboe and UDP but there’s also that saying about “fools dare to tread where angels fear to go”? Yeah, that one! Sign me up for Fool School but this is too important to ignore.

In the “unnoticed” part of the video, Lawyer Darboe publicly refers to our Women’s Affairs Minister, Fatoumatta Tambajang, as “The Honorable Vice President”. This, despite all the controversy surrounding the numerous failed attempts by the Barrow administration to make her the VP…but I’ll get back to the significance of that utterance later. The part that unsettled many Gambians was the fact that, unprompted, Mr. Darboe led the singing of “Lawyer Darboe yeh bankoe taa”, which translates to “Lawyer Darboe has taken over the country”. I found these words and that video disturbing on so many levels. Thankfully, the ensuing discussions on social media showed that i was not the only one. As usual, the good lawyer’s self-appointed lawyers were quick to his defence. One of the explanations given was that Mr. Darboe did not mean the words literally and that it’s just a song from 1996. That explanation almost sounds reasonable but I upon closer examination, I found still found it very worrisome for the following reasons.

For starters, one of requirements of a good leader is to have a very good understanding of the people, the times and the pulse of those they’re leading. Mr. Darboe should understand that we are in 2017, not 1996. Gambians have been through great trauma under a brutal dictatorship, led by a man who used words like “deka bi maako morm” (I own the country). Barely 3 months after getting rid of that regime, there has been a lot of political and tribal tension which makes this a very delicate time in our nation’s history. The rhetoric on social media has revealed some deep tribal tensions that many of us wanted to believe do not exist in our peaceful Gambia. The war of words, explicit and subliminal, has been raging on between Mandinkas, Fulas, Jolas and Wolofs. We have seen the extent of devastation that ethnic and tribal conflicts have caused in other parts of Africa and our leaders cannot afford to use words that have even the slightest potential to inflame tensions. So hearing those potentially inflamatory words from the leader of the biggest political party leaves me with 4 possible explanations.

1. The leader is out of touch with the masses and does not fully understand the current heightened ethnic/tribal tensions fuelled by politics.
2. The leader understands the tensions and does not care.
3. The leader understands the tensions but chooses to further stoke the fires because he believes it works to his advantage.
4. The leader simply got carried away with emotions and did not fully think about his choice of words at the time.

Given Mr. Darboe’s status as an elderly statesman who has a very good chance of eventually rising to the presidency, any of the first 3 would be scary for The Gambia. I therefore hope that option 4 above wins the day if and when Mr. Darboe chooses to explain his choice of song.

The second reason I found the song so disturbing was the suggestion of total disregard for the current president. Many Gambians and non-Gambians are questioning whether President Barrow is capable of running and in control of the government. One foreign journalist recently referred to him as an “accidental President” and it’s probably the one time the public saw Mr. Barrow display any emotion in an interview as he defended himself, emphasizing that his presidency was no accident. At such a time, I would have expected the man he publicly referred to as his “Political Father” to use language that will empower Mr. Barrow in the eyes of the world. Singing that “Darboe has taken over the country” only emasculates the president and further strengthens the rumor that Barrow is a mere puppet being told what to do. Singing that “Barrow has taken over the country” would have been a lot more helpful. Better yet, “Gambians have taken over the country” would have been even better as it would be a UNIFYING message – one that the country needs right now.

Thirdly, when i first read the complaints about Darboe’s song, I did not take it as a big deal because I thought it was his supporters singing the words and he just sang along to be polite. That was excusable for me even if it would have been in poor taste. I was shocked and disappointed to see that the song was started and led by the leader himself! I really pray that our leaders are not so conceited as to publicly lead their supporters on songs praising themselves! The sycophancy problem is one we’re trying to get away from and we hope New Gambia will not be led by new “HIV curing Babili Mansas”. Darboe has been in the public eye for decades and I want to believe we would have seen it by now if he had an ego of such disturbing proportion. Again, I want to believe that it was one slip-up driven by out of control emotions that will not be repeated.

Another explanation I heard from the lawyer’s self-appointed defence lawyers online was that Darboe only sang those words but they should not be taken literally. That explanation would have been comforting except for what we witnessed in US politics. It happens to be the same argument Donald Trump’s supporters used when they told us that we should “take him seriously but not literally” during the campaign. We were told that it was just rhetoric and he would never “institute a Muslim ban” or “build a wall”. Sure enough, Mr. Trump has given us all the more reason to follow the advice to “believe them when someone first tells us who they truly are”. Coming from that experience, the UDP leader’s words sent shivers down my spine. Trump has taught us to believe what leaders tell us rather than distrust our ears and believe what we want to hear.

Finally, back to Mr. Darboe’s reference to the Women’s Affairs Minister as “The Honorable Vice President”. Said separately, I may have brushed it off as just a slip of the tongue. However, when followed by singing that he has taken over the country, I am left wondering whether it’s not deliberate and that he is sending us a message. Despite realizing that their attempts to force a constitutional amendment was found unconstitutional, despite her never having been sworn-in, despite thousands of Gambians calling for the administration to appoint a legitimate vice president, Mr. Darboe’s insistence on publicly referring to Madam Tambajang as “The Honorable Vice President” is very worrisome. Oh, and Darboe also tried to “lawyer” us with an unconvincing argument that the constitution does not give specific timelines for the appointment of a Vice President thereby justifying the administration’s failure to appoint one for over 3 months. One can easily connect the dots to reach a plausible conclusion that the real message from Darboe is “I have taken over the country and will do as i please…and my anointed one shall be Vice President by any means necessary”.

The Gambia has been through great pain. We finally broke the chains of bondage to get rid of an autocratic ruler who killed, jailed and maimed because his delusions led him to believe that “he owned the country”. We believe that GAMBIANS HAVE NOW TAKEN OVER THE COUNTRY and that the leaders we elect are there to serve us and not own us. Great trust has been shown to Darboe and his party by the overwhelming majority they were elected to the national assembly with. We pray they appreciate the sanctity of that responsibility and take great care in the execution of their duty. Every action must be critically evaluated. What our leaders do may not be seen by all but what they say travels far and fast…and can have grave consequences on those who hear them and they way they interpret the words. So actions matter, but WORDS MATTER TOO.

Sana Sarr

RELEASE THE April 10 & 11 COMMISSION REPORT!

 
Soon after shooting to death of scores of Gambian children on 10 and 11 April 2000 on the orders of Yaya Jammeh while he was in Cuba, next came Isatou Njie Saidy claiming that the shooting came from among the school children! When I heard these words from a woman, a mother, and above all a Vice President, immediately my mind went to the words of that great American activist Mark Twain in his 1916 book, Mysterious Stranger,

 
“Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.”

 
In continuing their lies and self-deception, the regime immediately constituted a group of ministers into what it called the ‘Spokespersons Committee’ to embark on a false agenda they called ‘Healing Process’ as a means to cover up the murder. Continuing with their lies, next came the APRC parliamentarians who then passed the Indemnity Act in 2001 to pardon all those responsible for the maiming and massacre of Gambian children. Even when they put it into the Indemnity Act that a compensation package will follow, they knew it was a lie because no such compensation ever came. Until today, those young survivors who are adults today are in wheelchairs, denied of their childhood and adulthood and neglected to life of suffering.

 
Today is the day of reckoning! On this day, let us call for truth and justice. We know who are responsible for this macabre crime.

 
Testifying at the April 10 and 11 Commission of Enquiry, paramilitary and army officers stated that their superiors told them that Yaya Jammeh gave the orders to shoot. He was aided in this crime by his Cabinet Ministers at the time led by his Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy. They must be called upon to declare what they knew and what they did and did not do.

 
Next came the APRC members of the National Assembly at the time. They must declare what they knew and what they did and did not do. Next came the heads of the Gambia Armed Forces, Gambia Police Force and the NIA for they knew who gave them orders to shoot and what they did and did not do. Next came the armed security personnel on the ground. They knew who gave them orders to shoot and what they did and did not do.

 
In seeking justice for April 10 and 11, the rape of a schoolgirl by paramilitary personnel at the stadium, and the beating to death of a schoolboy Ebrima Barry by fire service officers in Brikama must be at the centre.

 
Finally we demand the release of the April 10 and 11 Commission of Inquiry Report! The Gambian People have a right to know! Make public the report.

God Bless The Gambia.

Marie Njie, one of Gambia’s finest young female activists noted, “When actions and votes are based on potential to profit individuals and/or tribes at the expense of a collective nation, opportunism flourishes. Opportunism, most often than not, morph into political personality cult which nurtures corruption”. She went on to challenge, “How long will we as a people continue to sell one another out for selfish gain and filthy lucre”. Hatab Fadera, another seasoned dude, equally observed, “I cannot comprehend the ill judgement being passed on credible politicians whose people voted them to represent their interest in the Parliament in a credible election that has been given a clean bill of health by international observers”. Mr Fadera, another Gambian political discourse commentator, charged, “Our reluctance to accept failure and see it as a process of growth is undermining our progress.

In life, we must learn to accept our mistakes and take stock of them for future challenges. Bullying people because a tide has turned against you is disappointing. Power resides in the hands of Gambians and they determine who takes over the affairs of this nation. What’s wrong with our sense of objectivity? I also think we should rise above partisan views and begin the process of nation building. We now have a democratic dispensation that is providing an equal space for all and sundry. This country needs the contribution of all”. Mr President these two great minds are pointed out some of the road signs of our dark political alleys leading to destructive ends such as the Sibanor saga.

 
It is laudable to see you come out and debunk the unfortunate clashes between party supporters following the NAM results declaration on Thursday. Albeit it is appropriate to legally sanction the perpetrators to deter its reoccurrence, I feel punitive measures are not means to eradicate such unpleasantries. It requires an honest and careful dive into the depths of the problem to come up with rigorous and targeted civil education dosages to enlighten our citizenry and transform the current personalty cult and partisan politicking style. A look at Gambians reactions, comments and views on the social media during and after the NAM election provide some of the marinating factors of our tribal and violent political dispensation. Apart from a handful of uncultured party surrogates, some of our elite political commentators also fan the flames of political exclusion. Conversely, Party leaders equally encourage the portentous political climate in order to score political goals by remaining silent amidst the saga. Another contributing factor is the cancerous Gambian double standards. We hasten to denounce the occurrence of an oawlish act of one leader and glorify the same with another. In a nutshell, the unequal treatment of the equal is deflating our political correctness.

 
“I guess we are bidding farewell to uniformity; the collective effort that was mainly directed to uprooting a dictatorship and we are gradually melting into our various political and ideological leanings. This trend as political commentators would say on the road to a functioning democracy is not superficial but natural. However demagogues and opportunists are hereby warned that no one can take us for a ride again and that the same collective force that was utilized to send Jammeh to Mongoma could be utilized to send them packing anytime they advance personal interest over collective national interest. The struggle for a functioning democracy continues”, Landing Nyassi postulated.

 
Mr President April 10 2000 was a Monday under a brutal Dictatorship which ordered the killing of unarmed students manifesting their dissatisfaction against the unlawful murder of and the gruesome rape of their colleagues. Their peaceful demand for justice for two of their colleagues was answered by torrent of live bullets ripping off young lives and maiming many. Today is another Monday 10 April in 2017 under a young democratic and tolerant regime. It is, therefore, fitting to not only commemorate that faithful day but award the victims with justice. Mere commemoration of the callous day yearly isn’t as uplifting as parading the culprits before a competent court of law. Gambians needs to know who gave the order for the guns to spit fire on the young souls and who drew the triggers?

Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK

Mr. President,
With a deep sense of humility and patriotism, I write to you on a subject of high importance to our country, which is the nomination of National Assembly Members as required of you under Section 88(b). This is your next big move!

 
Let me say at the outset that the issue of the nominated members is extremely critical simply because Section 93(1) of the Constitution says that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker shall be elected from among those nominated members. Hence the persons that the president shall nominate must be viewed from the context of the role and contribution of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. This is even more important given that the Speaker is the third highest office holder in the country and a potential president. Thus we do not need any kind of person as Speaker.

 
In light of the foregoing, the issue of nominated members must therefore be carefully considered in order to use it as a means to strengthen our democratization process. The role and position of the Speaker is a very significant position in a constitutional democracy like ours. As the leading accountability institution in the country, the parliament must be clearly independent from any influence. The independence of the parliament rests very much on the independence of the Speaker. The ability or the power of a parliament to check the Executive rests squarely on the Speaker. The trust and confidence that parliamentarians would have in the Speaker depends on the kind of person holding that office. The respect, trust and confidence that Gambian citizens will have in the parliament rests very much on the kind of person as the Speaker. The quality of discussions in the parliament lies squarely in the effective leadership provided by the Speaker. Hence the Speaker has a huge role and position.

 
Hence Mr. Barrow, you must consider all these issues in identifying these nominated members so that we can have a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker who will play an effective role to enable the success of the Gambia. A very good Speaker will help to guide our transformation from dictatorship to democracy. A very good person as Speaker shall ensure that the critical reforms that your administration envisages are done. A very good Speaker will bring about unity within the parliament between the different parties and ensure that the parliament as a whole is effective, efficient and responsive to the needs of Gambians. Hence the parliament is indeed indispensable and instrumental to your presidency and the peace and stability of the Gambia.

 
One can draw lessons from around the world to realize the power and influence of a speaker. Everyone knows that in the United States, the second most powerful person is Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US Congress. His power and influence in policy and lawmaking and holding the Executive to account can be felt not only in America but also around the world. Similarly the power and influence of John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons in the British Parliament is all too clear for all to see. Just few weeks ago, he stood up to say that Pres. Trump would not address the British Parliament when he visits the UK later this year at the invitation of the Queen. Yet no one can over-rule him. Not the Queen, nor the Prime Minister. These speakers are persons who have integrity, deep understanding of the issues and command a huge amount of respect and power.

 
This is the kind of Speaker we need especially at this critical time. It is because of such kinds of strong individuals as speakers that have made the US Congress or the UK Parliament one of the most powerful institutions in the world. This is precisely the reason why democracy is durable, effective and responsive in the US and UK and many other countries. This is what the Gambia also needs. I wish that you would consider this issue deeply and pursue it in such a way as to build your own legacy in truly creating a modern democratic Gambia.

 
Do not follow the Yaya Jammeh pattern of identifying clueless persons such as Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay as speakers who possess no iota of values, knowledge or patriotism. Do not pick speakers who will only serve sectional interests such as Abdoulie Bojang against the supreme national interests of the Gambia. Therefore do not nominate politicians or persons affiliated with political parties whose only role would be to make our parliament a partisan, rubberstamp and biased institution.

 
Therefore I advise that your nominated members should be Gambians who are not affiliated to any political party, but professionals in their own fields who are well-educated, respectable and credible individuals. Do not use the position of nominated members as a means to reward your supporters and allies. Choose independent persons of integrity and knowledge. This is important to ensure that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker provide the necessary unbiased leadership to the parliament and the Gambia. Given that the parliament is composed of multiple parties, having a non-partisan person of integrity as speaker will ensure more decent and thorough debates that will generate fairness and justice to issues. It will also mean no one will be able to control the speaker.

 
Mr. Barrow, you must understand that you need a parliament that is genuine and devoid of partisan bickering and politicization of issues and therefore cause delay or derailment to your agenda. To avoid that, a speaker without any party affiliation will be better able to guide discussions towards national interests and your objectives. But if you nominate politicians or partisan-affiliated persons, there is every tendency for that person to be biased against other parties in parliament. If that happens, the other NAMs could lose trust and respect for the speaker, which means the parliament will only become a Bantaba for insults and infighting. Such a parliament does not help you as president in anyway. Rather such a parliament will derail and delay your government. In fact it will be such a parliament that will further fuel tribal politics in the country.

 
In order to therefore choose your nominated members, I suggest that you should find a way to identify these persons. There are a number ways to do that. You can bring the issue to the Cabinet to discuss in order to identify excellent Gambians of integrity and knowledge. Or, you can also consult with the parties in order to identify the best persons possible. Alternatively, you can engage with various sectors of the society in order to obtain suggestions. For example, you can contact the civil society through TANGO for suggestions. You can also contact the business community through GCCI, or you can engage the Christian and Islamic councils, or the academia through UTG as well as the media fraternity through GPU, among others. At the end of the day, it is all about identifying credible and knowledgeable Gambians with the integrity and patriotism to help the country transition to a full-blown democracy under your leadership. This is about your legacy for which history will judge you, kindly or harshly. The ball is in your court.

 
Therefore identify credible Gambians who will remain faithful to the Gambia and ensure the parliament delivers the best for the country. We need this more than ever before given that we are coming out of a tyranny with lot of contentious issues to address. Hence we need a very levelheaded, well-informed and non-partisan citizen as Speaker to help steer the nation towards democracy and good governance.
Remember, you have already filled your Cabinet with lot of politicians. The parliament is filled with only politicians. Now that you have this opportunity, I think common sense and patriotism require that you identify other Gambians outside of partisan politics but with integrity to serve the country better. God Bless The Gambia.
Yours In the Service of the Gambia,

Madi Jobarteh

By Madi Jobarteh

April 6 is without doubt a major historic milestone in the life of the Gambia for both for the conduct of the election and its outcome. This election is directly connected with the decision Gambians made on December 1 when they voted out the APRC Tyranny led by Yaya Jammeh. April 6 is further linked with December 9 when Yaya Jammeh attempted to trample upon our verdict only to have Gambians stand firm and resolute to ensure that we install our new president on January 19. Hence what we have gone through on April 6 should be perceived within the wider context of transforming the Gambia from a dictatorship into a democracy.

 
In view of that, once again I urge Pres. Barrow to address Gambians after having experienced the most successful, free and fair elections in the country. This is the first time when we did not have Yaya Jammeh and APRC dominate GRTS, and illegally mobilize the entire state machinery for their election purposes. We did not have the Coalition also take advantage of their incumbency to flout the election rules either. Rather all players acted according to the rules of the game. For this reason and going into the future Barrow needs to speak to us immediately after this parliamentary election. As the head of state, his voice and opinion is necessary to validate the process.

 
We need to hear Barrow speak to us about the significance of this moment and further strengthen our resolve for a new democratic Gambia. We need him to call on our people to reconcile and unite as one nation. In the run-up to the elections, there was some physical and verbal rancour among our people and now that we went through the elections peacefully, it is important that the Chief Servant speak to us to bury the hatchet. Barrow needs to speak to all stakeholders in the political process to see each other as compatriots who are dedicated to the development of the Gambia.

 
Pres. Barrow should also address the nation to congratulate Gambians for this achievement once more and urge our citizens to unite and work together for the betterment of the country. As the chief executive, he needs to call on our people to rise up and actively participate in national affairs in order to ensure a democratic Gambia. We need Barrow to give us his vision and his expectations and how the people can support him achieve his objectives.

 
To our communities, Barrow needs to speak the language of patriotism, honesty and unity. He needs to offer consolation and encouragement to those who suffered in one way or the other during these campaigns and promise us that his government will not tolerate lawlessness but will hold anyone to account for breaching the peace and stability of the Gambia. There are several insidious rumours flying around to which Barrow needs to dispel and provide assurances. He needs to reiterate the positive remarks he made during his tour and among them further condemn tribalism.

 
Barrow needs to understand and appreciate the power of communication and utilize it to the maximum. A well-prepared national address on GRTS is necessary to put our people at ease yet energize and inspire them towards unity and hard work for our country. His advisors must urge him to seize the moment and engage the people.

 
Let the president realize that this election is, first and foremost in his own best interest more than anyone else in the Gambia. For the first time we have 7 sides in the parliament which can only ensure better governance for the country. Majority of the seats in the parliament were won by the parties that originally formed the Coalition. Hence the parliament as currently constituted is definitely in the best interest of Adama Barrow. He now has the necessary majority to pass through the reforms he needed. And for that matter alone Barrow needs to speak to Gambians to prepare us for the new dispensation unfolding right now.

 
Finally as a show of great leadership, let Barrow demonstrate the rare gesture of calling each of the party leaders individually to thank and congratulate them for their participation and success in the elections. This is even more than necessary given that he is a transitional leader who needs to heal a nation that has been traumatized and divided for decades. This will augur well for national cohesion and reconciliation.
I would advise that such a call take place on national television so that the entire nation can see that our leaders are talking with each other. Such gesture also commits the leaders and their parties to remain faithful and pursue a democratic, peaceful, non-tribalistic Gambia. It also makes the people remain calm thereby further strengthening national security. Let the president call the political leaders as a means of healing the nation.
God Bless The Gambia.