Many moons ago, Gambians would give their all just to see Jammeh hit the exit point. Then they decided. And Yaya left. A new dawn set in. With it arrived free speech. You can freely speak your mind. Anonymity is no longer necessity for many a Gambian. “This new political dispensation is liberating, and should, if handled right, redound to our national development. You have to give credit to President Barrow for being the custodian of this new-found freedom. He and the Gambian people worked side-by-side to reach this threshold. None could do without the order”.

Then the procedural errors began to erupt. As the celebration was overtaken by reality check, some cajoled the to be leadership both “visionary and quick on its feet”. The change disoriented some of the old school activists. For them nothing actually changed but regime. The institutions, instruments and practices remained unaffected. Prompting the rebirth of a new street talk. The governance style got dressed as low-energy, incoherent and vacillating. “It’s neither here nor there. It’s a-grope-in-the-dark kind of leadership, a leadership bereft of ideas and inspiration”. Consequently, some began to travel back in time in search of answers to why the newly minted democracy is failing where dictatorship has succeeded. “Love him or hate him, and put away his wanton human rights abuses for a fleeting second, Jammeh was a bold, transformational leader. He was an action-man, never the one to wait and waffle and procrastinate.

His leadership style had spurts of energy that defied imagination. With him you felt a certain earnestness about what is it that he plans to do. There is boldness, there is intensity. I guess his military background had something to do with it. Military governments, unlike their civilian counterparts, tend to be bold, swift, and encompassing in their deliberations. At this point in 1994, in Jammeh’s 100 days in power, there was no mistaking his intensity and priorities. He had assembled a strong cabinet, he had conducted a plethora of cabinet meetings, the contours of commissions of inquiry into Jawara’s past had begun to emerge. You felt the immensity of the changes happening all around you. It was hard to keep up. But with Barrow, one is at pains to decipher where things are going”, reasoned Cherno Baba Jallow.

 
Mr Jallow was not speaking alone, Mr President. He echoed the view of many others who fought with and want you to succeed. After 22 years of repressive years and Yaya constantly in people’s face, it will take Gambians to appreciate a modest and people oriented style of leadership. Besides, everyone seems to have their personalised expectations from you. To satisfy all will equate chasing flicking shadows on a slippery surface. Perhaps, engaging the public more often by enlightening them that meaningful change of instruments, institutions and practices of a democracy particularly one which inherited from a brutal Dictatorship must first repeal all draconian laws that enabled abuse. This cannot be achieved without due diligence, resources and support from the citizenry. We have seen the errors made when you rush to satisfy. Change is never easy. Some are disadvantaged by it while others benefit from it. What matters is for it to be an inclusive change nurturing equal opportunity.

 
Fixing the decayed economy will not be easy and quick. Firstly, the factors which eroded the economy must be identified and addressed. Care must also be taken to avert falling into suffocating economic strings that willing donors attached to their aids and grants. Attitudinal change to work is another necessity which must come from citizens. Government can appoint citizens to look after institutions but can’t determine who is working for self or state. How many ordinary Gambians have unapologetically stolen from national coffers and are celebrated a good sons and daughters? How many of us put country before self? That change cannot come from the leadership but us.

Are we ready to work for less to get the country where we want her especially during unsociable hours? Everyone wants it cut and dry but is unwilling to get dirty to see the change we so much can’t wait to have. How many civil servants will report on duty at 08:00 and stay in their offices for all their shift time doing only official duties? Are we cutting on expenses by using public facilities for official duties only?

 
We as a citizen must lead the change. If our attitudes to country isn’t changed, any government effort will be but cosmetic. The infighting at work, the hypocrisy and greed must all change to help bring about the change we want from government. After all who is the government? It is not only Barrow and his cabinet but you and I. The Wolof say before you ask someone to have a shower, you must be clean first.

Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK

By Madi Jobarteh

Western Europe and the United States share a terrible history with Africa. History has shown that slavery and colonialism were the imagination and invention of Europeans for the purpose of exploiting and oppressing Africans. History has shown that London, Manchester, Amsterdam or Paris were small and poor towns before the advent of slavery. But soon after the African Holocaust, these European cities and many more in Spain or Portugal emerged as huge industrial conglomerates ever since. For centuries Europeans came to African to kidnap our ancestors to ship away to their ‘New World’, which are the Americas from where the United States and Canada emerged as the richest countries.

 
Since Africa began its liberation struggle and eventually gaining independence from the 1960s, we have seen how western European countries and the United States jointly and individually spared no effort to undermine our struggle for self-determination. Where we even produced visionary leaders through the democratic process such as Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba and Ahmed Sekou Toure, we have seen how the West purposefully sought to eliminate them one by one through various means. Until today the West continues to support dictators, rebel groups and exploit Africa’s huge resources for their own benefit and to our detriment.

 
Yet, in spite of slavery, colonialism and now neo-colonialism, Africans now willingly struggle hard to go the West. Today Africa’s best doctors, engineers, lawyers and engineers as well as experts in all fields have found home in the West, working there and developing Western economies. Our young people including the illiterate and unskilled are not left behind in this exodus to the West. Thousands continue to embark on all sorts of dangerous journeys just to get to the West. Thanks to our people in the West many families at home are having decent lives.

 
Why is that? Why are our people not running to China, Russia, Brazil or India like they head to the West? No one goes to seek asylum in China or Malaysia or Rumania? What is in the West that makes it our first choice and not to North Korea or Turkey or Iran? Why do we still go to the West despite the horrible history we share with them until today? China or Russia or India never enslaved or colonized Africa, yet we do not go to those countries but only to the West. Why?

 
The answer is simple. We all want to go to the West because of democracy. Any African who is persecuted in Africa runs away to seek asylum in the West. Any African who is seeking greener pastures or education goes to the West. This is because there is Democracy and Good Governance in the West. Because of that democracy and good governance, the West has produced sustainable economic wellbeing and immense opportunities for its people and we also want to benefit from that. Gambians in America, UK and Western Europe know this because they see how these countries are governed. They have see how American people or the British and Western Europeans engage and monitor their leaders to make sure they produce the right leadership based on democracy.

 
When one considers all of these, why then are Gambians, especially some of them in the West who have seen and experienced democracy face to face now deny democracy to their own people at home. Why is it that when someone raises his or her concerns and issues about the Gambia Government or Adama Barrow or a political party, these people in the West unleash so much violence on that person? They call you a tribalist, hater, social media expert, attention seeker or seeking cheap popularity. They would even try to question what you did during the APRC Tyranny as if they stayed in the Gambia and physically wrestled with Yaya Jammeh and defeated him a long time ago! Some would even rationalize that Gambia is not UK or US as if democracy is good for the West but not good for the Gambia.

 
Instead of these people demanding the best from our leaders and subjecting them to hard scrutiny, rather they condemn anyone who is trying to hold the Barrow Administration to account. What is most amazing is that these people are behaving exactly the same way as APRC folks were behaving when Yaya Jammeh was in power. At that time anyone who criticized Yaya Jammeh, you were labeled an unpatriotic citizen, a Western-backed agent or a tribalist who just hated Yaya Jammeh. Why are we repeating this? Why then did we remove Yaya Jammeh?

 
Everyone has seen that the only reason Western Europe, US and Canada are so rich and powerful is because of democracy. Therefore one would expect that Gambians in the Diaspora would uncompromisingly demand and insist on democracy for us also by any means, but so far what is coming out from some folks there is indeed scary. They enjoy democracy in the West yet they want to deny democracy to their own people in the Gambia. Why should we label a Gambian citizen negatively just because the person holds and expresses a divergent and dissenting opinion? Whose idea is correct? Who has the power to determine who is right or wrong? Can’t we just agree or disagree without having to vilify each other?

 
Is this the way we want to build the New Gambia? Is this the way we want to support and protect Adama Barrow? Can’t these people realize that they are not only harming Adama Barrow, but we are fundamentally taking our country back to dictatorship and destruction? Yet they still enjoy democracy in the West but they do not want their own people to enjoy the full extent of democracy at home. Certainly it is not ignorance but this is sheer dishonesty.

 
Gambians, Get Ready! We have entered Part 2 of the Struggle against New Dictators. On December 1 Gambia decided for True Democracy and we must not allow a bunch of Minority Dishonest Dictators to reverse that decision. Certainly this is not the reason why Solo Sandeng led patriots to demonstrate for democracy and electoral reforms. The struggle continues…
God Bless the Gambia.

By Madi Jobarteh

If truth be told, this National Assembly is the best parliament the Gambia has ever produced since independence. It is indeed the dream team and for that matter they cannot fail the nation. In this parliament there exists the necessary knowledge, experience, personalities and wisdom that we require as a nation. Through their personal experiences, with longstanding involvement in the political activities of this country, members of this parliament cannot claim ignorance in any way about what the Gambia needs and where it should go. Hence if they fail to fulfill that responsibility, we must hold them totally responsible for failing us. They would have no excuse in anyway other than sheer dishonesty and huger for power.

In the first place, Mariam Denton, The Speaker is a well-educated Gambian. She is a woman who had fought her own battles with tyranny from the very early days. She knows the law to the bone hence she is fully familiar with the challenges facing the Gambia from a legal perspective. As a lawyer and a political activist under UDP, she knows what that party faced because of dictatorship. Therefore the least we expect from Mariam is to be another speaker who would facilitate tyranny to return to the Gambia. If Mariam fails us, it is certainly not because of ignorance. Hence our lives and destiny are in the hands of Mariam Denton.

The Deputy Speaker is none other than the longstanding opposition giant Momodou Sanneh who had led his own revolution against Yaya Jammeh. He has the experience and knowledge about the National Assembly being one of the longest serving members in the Second Republic. As an elderly Gambian who has witnessed how his children and grandchildren have been destroyed by dictatorship, Sanneh cannot tell us he does not know what kind of Gambia we deserve. Hence we expect Momodou Sanneh to bequeath to his children and grandchildren a Gambia that will be proud of his legacy. If he fails us like APRC, he has no excuse.

Therefore between Speaker Denton and her deputy Sanneh, we expect nothing other than enlightened and compassionate leadership for the creation of a new Gambia. It is now that we will see if indeed their personal and political experiences are worth the salt they are made of.

The greatest asset we have in the National Assembly is the presence of 31 elected UDP representatives. What more can we tell these UDP folks when their members were the most brutalized opposition party. Do we need to remind UDP what is dictatorship? Would they forget Kanyiba Kanyi? Would they forget their experiences at Denton Bridge in 1996 when they were mercilessly beaten by APRC and soldiers? Would they forget Solo Sandeng? Would they dare to forget the mass incarceration of their entire leadership in July 2016? Hence who dare remind UDP that they have a solemn responsibility to deliver good governance to the Gambia?

UDP members must realize that we do not live in the Yaya Jammeh narrative anymore. We live in the UDP narrative now because just as they were the worst victims of the dictatorship, today they have also become the biggest beneficiary of that tyranny. They earned it because they worked for it. Hence it is now that UDP will show us what they are made of. Will Mariam Denton, Momodou Sanneh and Kebba K Barrow use their majority in the parliament for the good of the Gambia or just for the partisan interest of UDP like APRC did? The fact remains that the experiences and expertise within UDP in this parliament offers us a unique opportunity to create the best Gambia ever. Therefore they have no excuse to fail us.

When it comes to the Majority Leader Kebba K Barrow affectionately called KKB we have nothing to do but to celebrate because of the excellent profile of the honourable member. This is a man who has spent the better part of his life in the civil society, working with communities for socio-economic development. Over the years KKB has trained, sensitized and worked with various associations for women, youth, the disabled and children for the protection and promotion of their human rights. A longstanding staff of TANGO, KKB and I have crisscrossed the length and breath of the Gambia going into poor and marginalized communities to empower the masses to defend their rights and demand quality services from local government authorities and the government. We have trained all categories of Gambian society in promotion of good governance and democracy. Hence if that KKB is now the Majority Leader in the parliament, then all must hail the Gambia. KKB dare not fail by turning the National Assembly into a rubberstamp for dictatorship. If he does that then it is nothing other than dishonesty and hunger for power for he definitely knows what are the challenges and prospects of the Gambia.

Minority Leader Samba Jallow must be credited for being that lone party member in the last parliament who stood up with Gambians through thick and thin. He is indeed a man who did not shirk his duty when his motherland called him to do so. He is not Fabakary Tombong Jatta and his APRC NAMs who decided to forsake the Gambia for Yaya Jammeh. Hence we must feel very confident and satisfied that Samba Jallow is still the minority leader. We would hope that he would mobilize his NRP team to support nothing but the good governance and democracy of the Gambia.

The combination of PPP and the new independents give us only hope even though most of them are entering the parliament for the first time. The personalities in these camps tell us they are citizens of integrity who are inspired to serve their nation. Being adult Gambians who have lived through the dictatorship, there experience is enough to place them on the path of democracy and good governance for the Gambia.

Finally. It is not an overstatement to claim that the rock of the National Assembly is the PDOIS Frontline. Led by the indomitable Halifa Sallah and indefatigable Sidia Jatta with strong strikers like Ousman Sillah and Suwaibou Touray, we cannot expect anything from this formidable team other than the defense of the supreme interests of the Gambia. Hence we definitely cannot expect under performance from Sidia and his vanguard in the parliament. It would be the greatest tragedy if PDOIS abandons the people in the cold! There is no doubt that they will never ever do that.

Frantz Fanon had said that each generation has a duty to discover its mission, to fulfill or betray that mission. Our new National Assembly Members must realize that this is their generation. We went through 22 bloody years of misrule and each of these parties had stood hard and strong against tyranny until it was vanquished. Hence their mission has been carved out for them already, which is to create a new Gambia of democracy, dignity and freedom. Will they fulfill or betray their people? Time will tell. But we can tell them that they have absolutely no excuse, individually and collectively to fail. If they fail, it will be for no reason other than dishonesty, hunger for power and unpatriotism.

We therefore wish the National Assembly well. We expect the party leaders of UDP, PPP and NRP who are Cabinet ministers to provide the necessary guidance to their parliamentarians to better guide the Executive. Failure is not an option.

Having party leaders who founded the Coalition inside the Cabinet of Chief Servant Adama Barrow further enhances this National Assembly. With a set of strong women like Fatoumatta Tambajang, Isatou Touray, Claudiana Cole and Saffie Lowe Ceesay, in addition to a team of male technocrats, this Cabinet therefore has the requisite knowledge, experience and expertise to steer this country to greater heights. Indeed the Cabinet is equally a dream team and they have absolutely no reason to fail the Gambia. No one knows the Gambia more than Barrow and his Cabinet for they have lived through the dictatorship and they all had their various individual battles.

To the rest of the citizens, let us begin to sensitize and organize in order to empower our people. Our greatest weapons are enlightenment and organization. No force on earth can defeat an enlightened and an organized people. Let us be prepared to demonstrate, petition and speak out in our towns and villages, through the radio, television and newspapers, everyday. Let us demand transparency and accountability without which democracy is hijacked and transformed into a tyranny. Let us all be activists for social justice. Let us all be human rights defenders. Let us all be advocates for democracy and good governance. Let us work together as groups to monitor the National Assembly and the Executive to ensure that they abide by the rule of law. Let us realize that what we face is a life and death issue!

May God Bless the Gambia and the National Assembly!

ANALYSIS – The recent spat of rash appointments within the Gambia’s Foreign Ministry continues to raise eyebrows and debate amongst the diaspora & Foreign Policy circles seeking answers as to legality and utility of an ambassador-at-large. As framed within, Section 79, subsection (b) the constitution authorises the president to ‘receive envoys accredited to The Gambia & to appoint Principal representatives of the country abroad’. The term ‘principal, here denotes ambassadors, and counsels; and nowhere is an ambassador-at-large mentioned.

Diplomacy, in simple terms, is a by-product of relations between nations. In bilateral & multilateral terms, diplomacy is often termed as an art or practice of conducting negotiations between nations. In Foreign Policy terms, however, experts define the term as a profession, or activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad.

How does recent appointments fit into this arrangement – Well, according to Foreign Policy Magazine, an ambassador-at-large is one who is not assigned to a particular diplomatic post but is appointed on a special mission. This ruling seems vague necessitating further clarification. Turning to the 1970 republican constitution, and the watered down 1997 version, there is no mention of such a post, or privileges. On section 79(c), however, the constitution ‘gives the President power to negotiate and, subject to ratification by the National Assembly, the conclusion of treaties and other international agreements’. My understanding is that an ambassador-at-large is one who is NOT appointed to a ‘Foreign Post’, but travels to various places carrying out special duties. So what’s the point of our ‘REAL’ ambassadors then, Mr President!

In American Politics such an appointment is conferred on ‘one with special duties who may be sent to more than one government with a specific message from the president.’ In Gambia’s case, however, this leads to more confusion as to why a tiny country as ours, having accredited diplomats around the world would make such rash appointments with no legal legs to stand on. We have heard of sports ambassadors, business ambassadors, but those are vague terms conferred on citizens who achieve or did extraordinary feats. Basically, ceremonial terms; and certainly, every Gambia abroad is an ambassador for their country projecting the good-Gambia-Image around the world. The diaspora being a true testament of that showcase in magnificent ways, indeed. And as the country embark on a new era rebuilding external relations & partnerships, the government must learn from recent experiences that the Gambian people have voted for a new direction and a rethink in foreign policy – Not favouritism, nor cronyism.

There are legitimate questions here, if, in fact, those appointees are salaried, and on what terms and conditions of issuing diplomatic passports. Looking at the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations (1961), clearly, Jammeh has overstepped the process by issuing the country’s privilege papers in exchange for monetary favors. Not again, and Foreign Minister Darboe is on notice that Gambians are taking a closer look. For accountability purposes in view of a ‘Freedom of information bill’ soon to be introduced in parliament, pro-democracy groups aim to put in periodic requests of all persons issued with diplomatic passports, bar ‘REAL’ ambassadors.

President Barrow ought to be mindful of charges of ‘personalization of the state’, hence the Gambia’s republican constitution is premised on the principles of separation of powers, Checks and Balances, all in line with the democratic process – values Jammeh crushed. I further enjoin on him to regulate any more issuance of diplomatic passports, and to sign on each applicant before issue.

Moving on – The issue of term limit has gone cold within this administration. One of the verbal agreements the diaspora and coalition 2016 aligned on was for the insertion of such roadblocks into the statutory book as a curb against perpetual rule. Let me remind the President that we are still here; that we hold these ‘Truths’ to be inherently dear to us, thus SACROSANCT. When the issue last came to a vote at an ECOWAS gathering, the Gambia and Togo remain the only two countries to vote against the motion. For reputation, and his own legacy purposes, President Barrow ought to know that ‘supremacy of the law’ supersdes ‘Seniority’ or ‘Privileges’. The role of government is simply to ‘govern in defense of the constitution’. I’d be remiss not to remind him that he has executive authority to authorise a cabinet reshuffle, or sack any minister not up to the job. Folks, you better recognise #NewGambia in a #New-Era – Taxpayers deserve a return in more ways than one – and that also means ‘COMPETENCE’.

Gibril Saine, LONDON.