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.

April 6 shall go down in our history as the beginning of democracy even with the sadness that only three women have been elected. For the first time we have 7 separate parties including an independent represented in our parliament. A diverse parliament is good for democracy and good governance. The base of a constitutional democracy is the parliament. This is because while the president represents the whole country as one constituency, at the same time the parliament is equally representative of the whole country and also representative of the various constituents of the country. Hence it is in the parliament that public interest can be best promoted and secured because of the debates, engagements, negotiations, agreements and disagreements of the various members of the parliament.

 
The role of the parliament is not merely to make laws. But more importantly when parliament makes the laws, it now comes to monitor the Executive to ensure that it is effectively implementing those laws. These laws are not just about provisions of our constitution or the criminal code, but these laws also include our budget and taxes. The role of the Executive is merely to enforce the law. Enforcing the law means only two things: to protect human rights and to satisfy needs of citizens. Hence the function of the Executive is merely to collect taxes, provide goods and services and protect our rights. This is what constitutes law enforcement.

 
But for the Executive to do any of these actions, it requires the approval of the parliament first. Hence the Executive is at the mercy of the Parliament. This is why therefore the parliament is the most important and most powerful national institution. The Gambia is a republic under a constitutional democracy, which means we are an independent people within a nation-state and governed by our own ideas codified into a body of laws. Politically we are not governed by the Holy Quran or the Holy Bible. We are not governing ourselves based on the culture of the Aku or Manjago, Fula or Serer, Mandinka or Wolof, Sarahuleh or Jola. We are governing ourselves on the basis of the Gambia Constitution and other laws that have been enacted by the parliament and assented to by the president.

 
The crux of our constitution sets up three arms of the state as the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary with separate functions within a system of checks and balances. These checks and balances are guided by the rule of law as spelt out in the constitution intended to make sure no one arm has too much power. This is to restrain public institutions and officials and ensure that they deliver effectively in protecting our rights and satisfying our needs. This means the Gambia is not run on the opinion of the President or Speaker or Chief Justice and indeed not on the opinion of any one citizen so long as that opinion is not in line with the constitution. It is only the Judiciary that has the power to determine if that opinion is in line with the constitution or not.

 
Now that we have a new parliament, the process of remaking the Gambia has begun. Mr. Adama Barrow came on the ticket of a Coalition of parties, which has a manifesto with a three-year mandate. The new dispensation also comes against the backdrop of a 22-year brutal regime that butchered the constitution severely just to entrench itself in power forever. The task therefore before our parliament is to enable the Gambia transition from dictatorship to democracy. How will they do this?

 
We therefore expect each and every parliamentarian to uphold the supreme interest of the Gambia. By this, we expect that parliamentarians, individually and collectively to realize that the life and death of the Gambia is in their hands. We expect each and every one of them to have a vision of a Gambia they wish to create. We expect the parliamentarians to work together in unison with the Executive in ensuring that they carve a solid statecraft that will usher in a new democratic dispensation in which the sovereignty of the Gambia shall prevail supreme at all times.

 
We will remind the parliament that heinous crimes and atrocities were committed in the Gambia over the past 22 years under the APRC Tyranny, which needs investigation to expose the truth and ensure justice. Those responsible for human rights violations must be identified and brought to book. In the same vein, our parliament must make a clean break from the APRC-dominated parliament of yesteryears. We do not need a rubberstamp parliament that aids and abets tyranny. The country faces major challenges in terms of development such as poverty, unemployment, high cost of living and inadequate provision of social services. We face major challenges in the public service, which is grossly weakened over the years. Above all, the country urgently needs major constitutional, legal and institutional reforms in order to usher in a modern statecraft. Thus the task before this parliament is already cut out for them.

 
The unprecedented presence of multiple parties in the parliament means we expect quality discussions over bills and policies. We expect an enhanced scrutiny of the Executive and all sectors of our society to ensure the full protection of human rights, efficient delivery of pubic goods and services and uncompromising adherence to the rule of law. The parties represented in the parliament have no excuse to fail the Gambia because they have lived the experiences of our people. They cannot claim to not know the urgency of our moment and the needs of our society.

 
The parliament is our defender. The parliament is our leader. The parliament is our guide. The parliament is our manager. The quality of development and democracy in the Gambia rests with our parliament. If there is a high incidence of corruption and poverty in the Gambia, none is responsible other than the parliament. It means the parliament would have failed in its monitoring and accountability role. If our public institutions and public officers fail to deliver to respond to our needs, the responsibility lies with our parliament. The constitution has given the parliament all necessary powers to ensure that good governance and the rule of law prevails in the Gambia at all times.

 
Democracy has now started. Democracy is a noisy game. Democracy is participatory. Democracy flourishes when citizens get interested in national issues and the way and manner the government and politicians address them. It requires that citizens are vigilant to speak out and to protest. Democracy flourishes when citizens form themselves into groups to campaign together to hold the government to account. The time has therefore come for the Gambian citizen to actively participate in the governance of the country.
Congratulations to Gambians! God Bless The Gambia.

Today is another historic day for Gambia as her resilient children voted to fortify her new found freedom and democracy. Firstly, I extend my profound congratulations to the United Democratic Party for its dazzling victory in the just concluded NAM election. It is pleasing to note Gambians have not only decided to safeguard her freedom but proven taking charge of one’s political destiny is the only way out of dictatorship. Albeit, the campaign has witnessed a charade to smear the respectable images of party leaders, the election is Gambia’s first free and fair election. We have learned and decided that recoiling into the irresponsible excuse “I am not interested in politics” only mutates dictators. As a consequence, keen interest in the political affairs of our governance has flourished charmingly as manifested in the results.

 
As the blinding dust of the campaign is settling amicably, we must put our differences aside and foster the fortification of our freedom and democracy. Gambians are forging social groups with the intent of guiding our leaders to desk our country on solid institutions to enhance sustainable socio-economic development. It is understandable our expectations are high due to nauseating 22 repressive years we just emerged from. Notwithstanding, we must be tolerant with our young government. The volcanic charade to smear and reach for one another’s throat with shinny profane daggers which erupted during the NAM political campaign won’t drive any society towards peace, stability and development. If for anything, the electorates have taught us all the final political decision isn’t party surrogates but theirs. The mind that is incapacitated to learn, adapt and incorporate and transform experiences into personal development is dangerous.

 
As families continue to mourn and seek justice for their love ones, government must ensure its swiftest dispensation. In the process, tears will be shed and tempers explode but just must be done. The security must equally endeavour to stem out the repeat of what was seen in the court when the NIA 9 were arraigned before a judge. Both parties must understand in a free world, rights and freedom have enjoyed without taking the law in one’s hands.

 
Finally, we hope the president will use his constitutional mandate to nominate ladies since the gender proportion remains alarmingly unequal. Until Monday, have a blessed weekend.

By Sulayman Jeng

Birmingham, UK

On December 1st, 2016, Gambians went to the polls and democratically removed a 22 year autocratic, repressive and entrenched dictator through the ballot box. Despite months of denial by the incumbent, dictator Jammeh, and months of uncertainty for the population, the voice of the people eventually prevailed and our collective will was instituted when the elected Adama Barrow was sworn in and Jammeh sent into exile to Equatorial Guinea. Although we continue to stumble a bit here and there as we find our footing in this new-found democracy, hope was restored and many are optimistic in the prospects of “New Gambia” to finally get on the path to prosperity.

On April 6th, 2017, Gambians head back to the polls to elect the legislative branch of our government, The National Assembly. For the past half century, I believe this branch has been the most neglected of the three branches. This has partly been by design – the Executive deliberately refusing to give it the due attention because it helps them control and abuse power without the required checks and balances. A bigger reason, in my estimation, is the lack of understanding and appreciation for the importance of the National Assembly by the general population, and a lack of proper understanding by elected officials of their role AND POWER in the functioning of our democracy themselves. The national assembly does not carry the same prestige as cabinet ministers, it does not pay as well, the members are not issued government vehicles with personal security guards to drive them around and they don’t travel as much to meet foreign diplomats and collect lucrative per diems. Also, add that one normally has to go through the rigors of a campaign with the risk of humiliation should they lose. So it’s understandable that our “highly educated” are not usually attracted to serve. Consequently, it’s left to the “popular” community leaders or “elders”, or political party militants chosen by the party leaders. These folks may not be the most educated or most qualified, but are almost assured of winning the elections due to their political backing or their popularity. This lack of enough competent national assembly members is right up there with any systemic and structural failures that have led to the poor governance we have endured since independence, especially our great suffering under the AFPRC/APRC regime over that past 22 years.

I would have loved to believe that the past 22 years have taught us the importance of a competent national assembly. Sadly events and discussions after the removal of Jammeh have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that that appreciation is still lacking. Evidence? It does not get more glaring than the outrage many critics expressed when Coalition 2016 Spokesperson, Halifa Sallah, turned down a cabinet position because he wants to contest for a seat in the National Assembly. For me, this was one of the noblest sacrifices one could make at such a crucial time in our nation’s history. Instead of praises and accolades, Mr. Sallah was rebuked, even insulted, by many who accused him of being selfish. Seeing that many Gambians understand and follow football, I beg your indulgence to allow me to use a football analogy to explain the importance of the national assembly. The nation/government is the game of football. We all know the importance of the greats – Pele, Maradona, Ronaldinho, Drogba…all the way to Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. These are the stars that everyone knows as responsible for the exhilarating entertainment that keeps fans glued to their stadiums, that sells tickets and merchandise and draws advertisers to make the game the multimillion dollar business it is. Deservedly, these big stars enjoy the fame and fortune that comes the job. Occasionally, they also endure the criticism, paparazzi and other not-so-fun baggage. Their importance is undeniable. Before, we had Pele, then came Maradona and now we have Messi. They dominate, make an impact and disappear, leaving us with memories. The ingenuity of some forces some changes as teams try to adapt to new stars and their abilities. Sometimes they even leave us with some moves like the “Cruyff” or the “Maradona” that kids continue to learn and use decades after they’re gone. In our government, these “superstars” would be the President and Ministers. Their names are recognized and their contribution will forever be remembered. Historians will write about them and children will be asked trivia questions about them.

Now ask yourself, who made the rules that allowed the stars to shine and for the fans to enjoy football? Who decided that a football match will last 90 minutes so Messi does not get exhausted playing for 3 hours? Who decided that the game won’t end as soon as one team scores? Who decided the size of the football pitch and that there will be grass on it? Who decided that for certain fouls, one is issued a yellow card to be warned? Who decided that a violent foul results in a red card and an ejection so Christiano Ronaldo does not get his legs broken by Chiellini? See, many of us never even thought of the people who made these rules or their importance to the game. I certainly do not know any of their names. However, many of these rules that were made over a century ago still stand today and without them, we would never have been able to enjoy Messi, Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic. Despite not having enjoyed the fame or fortune of the stars, the impact of these rule makers will continue on to the end of time. The role of the National Assembly members is like these rule makers. It’s not as glamorous, prestigious or even recognized, but it’s noble and crucial, and its impact will put the country on either a safe path to prosperity or a perilous path back into the dark ages of tyranny and corruption. This is why I would have loved to see our “wise and patriotic” political leaders shun the limelight, stay behind the scenes and make the rules that will guide the nation we all claim to love. Our culture believes that with age comes wisdom. How I wish our “older and wiser” politicians would have been the one making the rules to guide the “young” technocrats, of which we have plenty, to be the “Messis and Ronlados”. Imagine a national assembly of Sedia Jatta, Ousainou Darboe, OJ Jallow, Fatoumatta Tambajang and Halifa Sallah, making rules that “The president will only serve a maximum of 2 five-year terms”, “The President shall name a vice president before being sworn in” and “Ministers shall declare their assets prior to being sworn in”.

The Gambia is at a crossroads. In our books, are many bad laws that need amendment. In our “culture” are even worse habits that need a reorientation. In our communities is a lot of hurt and pain that need healing. Jammeh stayed for 22 years because there are no term limits in our constitution. A woman was recently arrested and initially denied bail for “insulting the president” despite pleading to the judge that she had an infant child to take care of. Bodies of political victims are being exhumed from mass graves. We need solid people who have the character, conviction and wisdom to lay the solid foundation that will ensure that we will never return to the dark days we just got out of. With this I pray that Gambians with the right qualifications and qualities step up to the plate, forego the “glamour and glitter” and serve in this most crucial branch of our government. I pray that when casting that ballot, we remember to put aside fear, favor, affection or ill-will and elect people who understand what is required and possess the qualities that will serve the national interest. This is the most important elections in our history…of course second only to the one that removed the brutal dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh.

SANA SARR