By MALICK J.O JOOF

“If one man can be allowed to determine for himself what is law, every man can.”

ABSTRACT

This article reiterates the spirit of the 1997 constitution of the second republic of The Gambia with regard to the independence of the judiciary. The independence of the judiciary in any country contributes and shapes the notions of democracy and equality. For the proper dispensation of justice and the adherence to the spirit of the constitution, the principles of separation of powers and the rule of law there must be an independent judiciary. The undue interference by other organs of government, in particular the executive branch, poses a serious peril to the administration and dispensation of justice in any democracy, particularly in Gambia. The independence of the judiciary, as far as it goes, extends to both institutional and functional independence. The right to a fair trial is guaranteed under the constitution of the Gambia. That been said, its observation cannot be a reality in the absence of an independent judiciary.

INTRODUCTION

Fifty-one years had gone after the attainment of independence and the erosion of British colonization and exploitation. It wasn’t until April 24 1970 that The Gambia was considered fully independent from the Queen of England. A new and first Republic was born in the name of The Republic of The Gambia. This brought light into the lives of many Gambians, young and old.

This historic achievement also recognized the forbearing and unremitting efforts of the fathers of the nation. The agitation and struggle for independence was amongst the toughest tasks they handled in the name of the nation. The corollary of their struggles, and for our beacon of hope, provided for us that

“… very person in The Gambia is entitled to … fundamental rights and freedom … whatever his race, origin, political opinion, color, creed, or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the public safety…”

We graced the growth of the first Republic that stumbled and crumbled like any young republic.

The 1970 constitution gave the people of The Gambia hope and provided for the protection of our God-given rights and freedoms. These provisos can be found in Chapter III of the said constitution. The said constitution further provided for the establishment of a judicial branch of government, the Adjudicator as contained in Chapter VII. This chapter mandated the Judiciary, inter alia, to interpret the laws of the land and hear legal matters concerning the PEOPLE, without ill will, fear or favor. The independence and impartiality of the judiciary was so and duly established under that chapter.

The first republic became history on July 22 1994 when the military junta led by Lt. Col. Yahya Jammeh deposed the democratically elected government of Sir Dawda K. Jawara as the first president of the first republic. The ambitious and young soldiers promised to establish ‘a government for the people.’ The 1997 constitution of the second republic is evident. The preamble, amongst others, provides that

“[w]e the people of The Gambia have accomplished a great and historic task. We have had our say on how we should be governed. For this Constitution contains our will and resolve for good governance and a just, secure and prosperous society.”

The 1997 constitution, like the 1970 constitution, brings light to the lives of many Gambians that the “… constitution contains our will…” and therefore, “[t]he sovereign people of The Gambia … endorsed the change of government on 22^nd July 1994 ….”

History and time have proved the government wrong and defiant of the constitution and the sovereign will of the PEOPLE.

However, a plebiscite was conducted in 1996 for the adoption of the constitution. It was finally adopted and it entered into force on January 16 1997. The constitution contains a very important provision. To many, the failure for the observance and enforcement of this provision intercepted the purpose of the constitution to “…resolve for good governance and a just, secure and prosperous society.” This, as far as we know, is the spirit of our constitution; a mere anthology of wishes.

The following excerpt precisely explains the spirit of a true constitution.

Constitutions are not “living documents” as is contended by some ignorant and verbose commentators. Because a Constitution defines the structure, powers, and limitations of the government, such elements are fixed, except as such may be altered by the amendment process. When a Constitution includes language that protects personal liberties (sometimes called “natural rights” or “God-given rights”), these provisions must remain in effect, and remain fixed as they are for all time. They are not subject to modification by amendment because no one, not even our fellow Citizens, has the authority to deprive us of our liberty…”

The 1997 constitution is the fundamental law of The Gambia, The Grund Norm, and “it sets the tone, the spirit and the framework from which all other laws and the form of government draws [their] legitimacy…” At the same token, it is the compendium of the second republic’s misconceptions of democracy and good governance.

Section 4 provides that “[t]his constitution is the supreme Law of The Gambia and any other law found to be inconsistent with any provision of this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.”

To be guided by time and more than two decades of historical facts, executive proclamations and declarations had on many occasions render section 4 a nullity. If a supremacy clause in a constitution doesn’t have any effect in the midst of political inappropriateness, the question to be asked is what would happen to the constitution in Toto.

To ensure a fair dispensation of justice and the observance of the rule of law, there must not be a disregard to constitutional provisions. The judiciary as per the constitution is the beacon of hope where the people look up to for the fair determination of their causes. “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”

THE INSTITUTION OF THE JUDICIARY

Chief Justice Marshall reiterated that “[i]t is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each.” What Marshall CJ meant to say is purely simple. In the course of executing its duty, the judiciary should and must be at will, guided by the constitution and the principles of justice and the rule of law, to state what the law is without ill will, fear or favor.

The judiciary is an institution established by the constitution to interpret the laws of the land. The same law that establishes it, gives it interpretative authority, also characterizes it as independent and impartial. Regardless of the nature and weight of the document that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, the independence of the judiciary should be guaranteed for the fact that it is necessary in a democracy and for the proper administration of justice.

In his introduction to “How to Treat Allegations of Bias or Impartiality”, Dotse JSC, enunciates the constitutional principles of the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. He states thus:

“Section 24 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia 1997 […] provides as follows: –

“Any court or other adjudicating authority established by law for the determination of any criminal trial or matter, or for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation, shall be independent and impartial …”

From the above constitutional provision[…], it is clear and apparent that the philosophical underpinnings of the Constitution[…] of the Republic of The Gambia … in so far as [it] relate[s] to the adjudicatory authority of the Courts established under the … Constitution[…] or other laws are founded on the following principles:-

1. Independence of the decision making process
2. Impartiality of the judicial system,

iii. Fairness of the system and

1. Early and or expeditious trial

What shall be noted is that, it is now the norm that determination of all disputes, both civil and criminal between individuals within a state, or between the state as against individuals or between citizens of a state are dealt with by recognized judicial institutions created under the various constitutional and legal establishments for that purpose.

In the Republic of The Gambia, judicial power is vested in the courts created under the Constitution and the said power shall be exercised by the courts according to the jurisdictions conferred on them by law.”

The above constitutional provisions also reiterate the fact that the other two branches of government should refrain from infringing the independence of the courts and the holders of any adjudicatory authority created by or under the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.

In support of this assertion, section 120(4) stands to facilitate the independence of the judiciary. It states that “[t]he Government and all departments and agencies shall accord such assistance to the courts as the courts may reasonably require to protect their independence, dignity and effectiveness.”

Section 123 also provides that “[a] judge or other person exercising judicial power shall not be liable to any action or suit for any act or omission by him or her in good faith and in the exercise of his or her judicial function.”

In the course of time many Justices of the superior courts were relief of their services for reasons not quite known to the public. Magistrates are being harassed, assaulted and arrested for conducts that are within their judicial power, or for ruling against the state.

It is noteworthy to understand that “… the protection of human rights is dependent on the guarantee that judges will be free and will reasonably be perceived to be free to make impartial decisions based on the facts and the law in each case, and to exercise their role as protectors of the constitution, without any pressure or interference from other sources, especially government. This basic premise is crucial to the maintenance of the rule of law.”

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter alluded that “[t]here can be no free society without law administered through an independent judiciary. If one man can be allowed to determine for himself what is law, every man can. That means first chaos, then tyranny.”

As much been said to that effect, judicial partiality is, more often than not, triggered by the executive organ of government. Its massive influence and political power render the judicial organ of government its marionette. The president under the constitution has the mandate to appoint and dismiss judges. If the power given to the president to appoint and dismiss judges is not checked through the mechanism of checks and balances, it may result to nefarious decisions as we’ve seen in the past.

The constitution provides in section 138 that

“(1) The Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission.

(2) All other judges of the superior courts except the judges of the Special Criminal Court shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.

…”

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) was established “… to appoint persons to hold or act in any office to which this subsection applies shall vest in the Judicial Service Commission.” It is also mandated “… (a) to advise the President in the exercise of their powers relating to the appointment of judges; (b) to make recommendations as to the terms and conditions of service of judges and other judicial officer and officers and staff of the courts; (c) to make proposals to improve the administration and efficiency of the courts …”

Material to this discussion is the autonomy, if any, of the JSC in advising the president in matters of or relating to the appointment of judges. The independence, if not functionality, of the JSC as per the above is a big question.

It is important that the citizen do not lose confidence in the judicial and political systems. Once this happened, there will be an affront to the ‘… grand secret of liberty and good government” for which our constitution is established to achieve.

It is noteworthy to say explicitly that ‘… the exercise of governmental power, which is essential to the realization of the values of [our] societ[y], should be controlled in order that it should not itself be destructive of the values it was intended to promote.’ We should be cognizance of the fact that ‘’[a]ctions by other branches of government which undermine the independence of the judiciary therefore attack the integrity of our Constitution.’’

“Judicial independence is valued because it serves important societal goals – it is a means to secure those goals. One of these goals is the maintenance of public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary, which is essential to the effectiveness of the court system. Independence contributes to the perception that justice will be done in individual cases. Another social goal, served by judicial independence is the maintenance of the rule of law, one aspect of which is the constitutional principle that the exercise of all public power must find its ultimate source in a legal rule.”

As Dotse JSC alluded infra, “…judicial independence involves both individual and institutional relationships: the individual independence of a judge, as reflected in such matters as security of tenure and the institutional independence of the court or tribunal over which he or she presides, as reflected in its institutional or administrative relationships to the executive and legislative branches of government.”

The quest “for peace and stability in our society and … good governance” cannot be achieved “[u]nless the government subordinates itself to the law, and to the sovereignty of the people through the constitution …”

The government’s subordination to the law and the free will of the sovereign people will strengthen democracy and the rule of law, hence the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and the fairness of the system.

Further, the right to a fair trial ‘… represents one of the most fundamental guarantees for the respect of democracy and the rule of law…’ A person charged with a criminal offense (and a plaintiff or petitioner in civil suit) shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time. Sub-section 3 of section 24 states that ‘[e]very person who is charged with a criminal offense, shall be presumed innocent; shall be informed at the time of charge the nature of the offense charged; shall be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his or her defense; shall be afforded facilities to examine witnesses called by the prosecution [and] examination of witnesses whom the accused person called to testify on the same conditions as those applying to witnesses called by the prosecution; except with his consent, the trial shall not take place in his absence.

The most important component of the right to a fair trial is the independence of the judiciary, particularly independence from the Executive and the Legislature. “Usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments.” If such division does not exit, the recourse to a court of law will be of little use, if not of no use.

Judicial independence does not only mean autonomy in legal proceedings. It includes, but not limited to, the conditions of services and tenure; manner of appointment and dismissal, the degree of stability and logistical protection against outside pressure and harassment.

The doctrine of separation of powers has little if no application in Gambia. In the anatomy of the principle, separation of powers starts from institutional separation. In Gambia, the Attorney General who is the principal adviser of the president in legal matter doubles as the minister of justice. The powers of the Director of Prosecution to initiate criminal action under section 85 of the 1997 constitution is subject to the approval of the Attorney General. This, however, may result to selected, eye-marked, and malice prosecution of individuals critical to the government; so to mention the dissidents and opposition militants.

FAIR TRIAL

It is an established norm and trite law that fundamental human rights are interdependent. The enjoyment of one right is contingent on the promotion, protection, and fulfillment of the other. The proper dispensation of justice in any democratic society is largely dependent upon the recognition of the rights of all persons as equal before the law.

The protection of the rights of all persons as equal before the law is fundamental in a democracy. The equality before the law doctrine lays the bedrock for the guarantee of the right to a fair trial.

The right to a fair trial does not focus on a single issue, but rather consists of a complex set of rules and practices. The right to a fair trial is interpreted as the rights that an accused person must enjoy throughout the determination of his or her cause. In addition, these rights are established and sanctioned by legal principles and procedures.

The constitution of the right to a fair trial includes and not exhaustive to, inter alia, the right to a humane treatment at the point of arrest, the right to presumption of innocence, the right to be informed of your crime within three hours in the language you understand, the right to be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seventy-two hours, the right to equal protection of the law, the right to be heard and public hearing, the right to be heard by an independent and impartial tribunal, the right to a counsel of your choice and effective defense, the right to legal aid as the case may be, the right to an expeditious trial, the right not to be tried in absentia without consent, the right to appeal, the right to have you conviction and sentence review by a higher tribunal etc.

BIBLOGRAPY

1. Black, C. H., LLD, Handbook of American Constitutional Law Fourth Edition, West Publishing 1927.
2. Constitutionalism and The Rule of Law in Indonesia
3. Daniel, C.P., Q.C. and Joanne, L., The Rule of Law and The Independence of The Judiciary, World Conference on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Montreal, December 7, 8 and 9 1998.
4. Outline of The US Legal System, Bureau of International Information Programs. United States Department of Justice 2004.
5. Rozakis, C., The right to A Fair Trial in Civil Cases, Judicial Studies Institutes Journal [4:2]
6. United Nations Basic Principles on The Independence of The Judiciary
7. United Nations General Principles on Fair Trial.
8. Ville, M.J.C., Constitutionalism and The Separation of Powers Second edition 1998
9. Federalist Paper No. 1
10. 1970 Constitution of the First Republic of The Gambia
11. Valente V. The Queen [1985] 2 S.C.R
12. 1997 Constitution of the Second Republic of The Gambia
13. Re Provincial Court Judges, [1985] 2 S.C.R 673

There is a deep feeling of visceral regret among many Gambians about missed-opportunities that would have given us clear-cut victories in this 2016 calendar year, enough to give future historians a long pause of unusual puzzlement. There have been lots of sparks and smokes but not enough flames to scorch dictatorship out of our country. From the recent defection of the once powerful interior minister-Osman Sonko, who can put a magnifying glass on the of facts on Yaya Jammeh’s crimes, to unsatisfactory response to the events of April 14/16 that led to imprisonment of UDP executives. The border closure of Senegal that nearly crippled our lackluster economy and the most tragic of all, the political weed dwelling of opposition parties against each other that neither showed any aptitude or desire to be the much-needed uniting force of coalition our country needs today. Our oft disjointed responses to all those opportunities were unsatisfactory at best and neither was remarkably inspiring to give dictatorship a final blow it needed to be seriously dismantled.

Sometimes it is so frustrating to see our issues of our nation, which should be invited philosophical discussions, rather have become entertainment spectacles — where superficial and rhetorical attacks against each other are encouraged. Better still, on issues where you would expect a thunderous outrage, our responses are measured and calculated but far from illuminating meaningful outcomes. What outcomes are to be expected other than deeper societal divides if we continue to behave in such manners? Meanwhile, Senegal sleazed Ousman Sonko out like a washed laundry by — peppering him with barrage of questions for their own interest and showed him the backdoor to Sweden. Well!if some people were wondering about their buzz phrase “Eating our own pepper” couple months ago, there actions — now give credence to the statement. As for us Gambia, we let the opportunity pass by — listening to rubble rousers without asking the haymaker questions — lurked on our unseen index card, which should have been rehashed by now.

Somewhat capriciously, Yaya Jammeh has done his homework about Gambian people endurance and now put the steering wheels of dictatorship on autopilot, cursing on high speed of — huge collateral damage throughout the country. Sometimes it seems as if we lack adult supervision because — our ideas of dealing with each other are so unusual that — other people respond with puzzlement. Kicking the can of opportunities down the road will not cut dictatorship much longer as anticipated but it will sure make others become more restive on the issue we should all be fighting together. There is too much at stake for our country but — we as Gambians have the most to lose by not advocating some common-sense, functional approaches – especially going into the 2016 election cycle. Many Gambian rookies “Jonny just come” who bear the scar tissue of dictatorship and have the knowledge that could help bring order to the struggle or have information that will help us get a strong push to climb the walls of dictatorship, easily washed their hands out of Gambian issues.

it’s hard to believe the calendar year 2016 is coming to a close and all that we experienced as a nation though the hands of on lone Yaya Jammeh, is — consistently making the international spotlight numerous times in the most embarrassing fiascos, but unfortunately he is still standing weak on both feet’s. In addition, he have orchestrated and revived — the most troubling of local issues — which we all thought were traditionally retired over the past decade. Yaya Jammeh’s dysfunctional leadership has been fully unmarked but our tap dancing around reality and trusting other nations to feel our pain of grief haven’t paid out well so far. It is not wise that — we Gambians continue to erect monuments of our failures in ceasing opportunities thrown on our feet. We sometimes bruise ourselves by our own vengeful mood and responding to issues with lingering bitterness instead of finding reasonable ways in upending the status quo. Lets make use of the momentum we have to free ourselves. Everyone should remember by now that — it is the soft gentle rain which grows the flowers of hope — when the sunshine of democracy rises above us, not the loud thunders echoing everywhere and scaring some among us.

By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

Perhaps it comes as a big surprise to many Gambians that all kinds of “stuffs” are happening to our beloved country —each time you take a deep breath and violence against our citizens continue proceeding as though on autopilot, consuming an ever greater share of our neighborhoods. For many of us who came of age before July 1994, it is very distressing that Gambia is the worst it has ever been in our history. The table were set for Yaya Jammeh to buck political ideology and do the hard work to make Gambians feel their government works for them. Perhaps predictably, Yaya Jammeh’s lack of adult supervision, as he only see the laws of the country only as footnotes in a case book, led him to overburden Gambia with many of his limitations. Yet, that’s hardly the whole story. At some point, we were promised a quick trip of shortcut to the gravy train of democracy but it turned out to of a decades-long nap of dictatorship simply because— Yaya Jammeh is afraid to lose the plush of the parlor “Terangha” — he unbelievably finds himself in.

When some Gambians eventually have the courage to say enough is enough, Yaya Jammeh thought to himself, he has the power to prevent a sunrise to democracy and continue holding that imaginary levy for Gambians to continue taking long naps — whiles on the ruff bumpy journey of dictatorship. Four years, many Gambians groaned helplessly when a disgruntled Yaya Jammeh began disparaging some of his respected critics as unsalvageable rejects, for their campaign against his sudden burst of violence on defendless Gambians and forcing those highlighting the never ending familiar narrative of violence that plagued our country to flee our homeland. While his actions are very troubling enough, he then took the leap from off on the wrong foot to begin writing off certain communities — from developmental projects — by costing Gambians thousands of jobs and adding to his dismal track record already pockmarked with failures. Every goodness and blessings that was meant for Gambia, are routinely swatted away for his family use — siphoning away funding — so much that Gambia remains as one of the poorest nation in west Africa beset by poverty.

That sad thing is, despite all of the setbacks they put our country through, they’re not about to slow down in their quest to run it out into the Atlantic Ocean. His fatal choice of words to the civilized world and his remarkably tone-deaf approach to thoughtful international leaders, played very well among his base at some point. So cleverly, Yaya Jammeh began testing his relationship with the Gambians by dogging, abdicating his responsibility-recklessly and turning public attention elsewhere by paying lip services only— to issues of the country. It is very disheartening that the regime will ruefully promote violence against the opposition and then run to the furthest fringes of the country, for the villagers to rest their consoling arms across the regimes shoulders. They will start giving them— red fire warnings as election day approaches and siting potentially dangerous unparalleled traditional beliefs to drive a vote against the opposition.

As for the youths,Yaya Jammeh’s door-slamming against our history, made sure many of the young do not have any memory of life before 1994. Majority of us grew up poor, but most people were impelled by the spirit of common purpose to see each other succeed or become joyous at someone else’s success. That is not the case today. Yaya Jammeh has played out Gambians against each other to extreme anger such that our unity against his dictatorial rule and optimism in our opposition coming together, gave way over time to the unparalleled culture of cynicism, pessimism and political division of today. No Gambian is rarely proud of our country’s path deep in their heart. But in a larger sense, dictatorship has grown brittle with stubborn national challenges over the two decades, when we allowed our democracy to take a long nap. We will only be able to see the bright side of democracy again, if our fellow citizens all vote against this regime. Gambia is hamstrung by dictatorship with the inability to develop. It is best when our opposition leaders stand in unity for us to embrace a new future, a worthy legacy second to none in history. We can deliver that future as one team.

By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

My Dear Ex-Minister and Brother,

First of all, I would like to sincerely commend you for your decision to desert the government of President Jammeh and to also congratulate you on your successful escape from The Gambia and from Jammeh. This is a major achievement considering that many of our colleagues were not able to do that and thus ended up perishing in the hands of Jammeh.

Sir, on the 7 June 2016, Uncle Sidi Sanneh, a seasoned former civil servant, diplomat and a prolific writer said the following in one of his blog posts:

“According to sources, Ousman Sonko mooted the idea of seeking to flee The Gambia to somewhere with the hope of securing asylum status. The reasons Sonko advanced, according to the source, is that he is convinced that the Gambian dictator has gone over his head with the killings of Gambians which has become uncontrollable and out of hand”.

Sir, this is the true story. You were not dismissed but you deserted and this story resonates very well with Jammeh’s modus operandi vis-à-vis his relationships with civil servants and security personnel. And for many of us who worked more closely with him, we are fully aware of the difficult predicaments/situations under which our public service personnel are serving.

In the same vein, there are a lot of good but untold stories about great deeds of humanity, sacrifice and professionalism that you and others in similarly delicate positions have done for the Gambia and her people. Many a times, you and other senior military officers will often go back to President Jammeh to beg him to rescind/withdraw many a wrongful/ disastrous decisions that he is so prone to taking.

In fact, we know the reason for your disagreement with Jammeh. He wanted you to disrupt or overturn the forthcoming presidential elections in his favour by all means necessary. Even if it means unleashing similar or worse violence/injustice against a current major presidential aspirant and his supporters in the same way he did against Honourable Darboe, his party executives and supporters.

Sir, you deserve commendation for taking this bold decision to say enough is enough and for refusing to be used to deny Gambians the political change that they so much deserve and desire and which is inevitable this December. Although you could have made such a decision ages ago, it is however never too late to do good.

Sir, it is now time for you to make a critical reflection of your life’s journey. Just like every single Gambian military officer including my humble self, you came from an extremely poor family. You rose through the ranks and held some of the most prestigious and enviable positions both in the military and in government until you became one of the most influential people in The Gambia.

Sir, every single blessing, opportunity and privilege that we all had (including Yahya Jammeh himself) came directly from The Gambian people. It is their taxes and resources that is running all government machinery and paying for all our salaries and allowances. Everything is from Gambia and her people and nothing absolutely is from Jammeh.

Sir, it is now time for you and all of us to give back to The Gambia and her beautiful people. Our country is at the brink of disaster and the lives of the people who made us who we are and gave us everything we have are seriously at stake. Another five year mandate for Jammeh will be totally catastrophic and no one knows that better than you. Gambians do not only need a peaceful political change but some of them (like the Solos and many others) are literally dying for that change.

Sir, we must not turn our backs to the people who gave us everything that we have. Please do not sit down in your cool and comfort zone in Sweden and leave Gambians to continue to perish in the hands of Jammeh; we all must contribute to the efforts to end Jammeh’s regime. And with elections around the corner, there is no better peaceful opportunity to do so than right now.

Sir, you know all the plans that Jammeh have laid to subvert the elections and you must disclose these plans. It is said that prevention is better than cure and to be forewarned is to be forearmed. By exposing Jammeh’s election subversion plans and warning the candidate(s) and the whole world about the plots against them, you will be helping to safe lives, avert violence and danger. And thanks to Facebook, our Diaspora online radios and social media, you don’t need the services of the GRTS to communicate directly to Gambians. You can easily do so from the comfort of your bed.

Sir, the priority is not for you to expose any rotten skeletons of the past or to wash our dirty linens in public. The most important priority/wish for Gambians at the moment is for Jammeh to lose the elections and for us to have a peaceful transition of political power. Please help The Gambia in restoring democracy and the rule of law. That is the least we can give back to our people who have suffered so much under Jammeh’s regime.

In conclusion, do not underestimate the forgiving and re-conciliatory nature of The Gambian people Sir. We are known as the Smiling Coast for many reasons including the fact that we are among the most tolerant, religious and peace-loving people on mother earth.

Sir, until we all meet in The Gambia next year under a Third Republic, stay safe and please keep warm so that you don’t get any frost bites from the proverbial cold winters of Sweden. Your time for serving the Gambia has just started.

Long live the Republic of The Gambia and Long live our harmonious co-existence.
Author Gano
Posted on September 25, 2016

Since the birth of our nation, Gambia was once held up as a beacon of hope that serves as second home for the most of the surrounding west Africa countries before its slow evolution to dictatorship — that began to loosen everything which held us as a nation. However, the toxic waves of abuses of our civil liberties and the massive storms from the ramifications of the misadventures Yaya Jammeh banging hard on our shores lines, lead to the erosion which finally ate all the pillars of our nationhood. In addition, it was especially depressing to learn that burrowing owls of our country are balancing their desires with our nation’s wealth among themselves, even to the point of threatening to bankrupt our country. The unprecedented length of our current stay of this regime in our nation, have only exacerbated these problems much more — as regime continues to further divide the magnitude of the challenges our country faces up in many ways and watering down the impacts of their actions. Today, these are important lessons Gambians must deal with.

if the Gambia is allowed faltered a bit more on the same wrong direction with its current incompetent leadership, we will not regain that mantle of smiling coast for a long time nor will be able boost the sluggish economy — to bring greater prosperity to our nation. In addition, the rule of law has been damaged by the militarization of country as a police state — which opened the door to massive circumvention of our legal system by mercenary judges. No one is guaranteed immunity from the tragedies of Yaya Jammeh. Predictably, those who listened with Teutonic precision — of the regime’s vice president speech usual cliché at UN, reassures you of two things: These people haven’t really withdrawn from their sniping policies of — blaming everyone else and showing unusual public display of bitter opposition to everyone who emphatically reject the burden they put Gambians through. Equally predictable, they will turn blind eye to their own dismal record of governance and offer stinging indictment of the west as their president retreat to the rear begging for developmental aid.

Nonetheless, the blood of the dead Gambians — whose lives were altered by the regime, is a stain that cannot be rubbed out of our memories easily. There are more than a hundreds of Gambians who should be alive but are not, and many thousands have been lost to other nations as a results of the grim determination of some people’s selfish interest — giving life support to this regime. Yaya Jammeh is continuously allowed to reshape the nation with his mood swings to match his vision, but one of us —amongst the weak Gambians, must pay for it with our lives. The same people draw escape routes for their fellow evil doers to the streets of the west, mostly in Europe, where they can live openly, free of worry about arrest. Such extreme malfeasance invites an inevitable conclusion in the heart of many Gambians whom are victims of these people. Imagine if Osman Sonko was on the terror watch list of the west? By this time, he will have been droned out to pieces or talking like a nightingale instead of drinking the “Peak milks of Holland” with — a burp cloth wrapped around his neck at the kitchen table. But, the truth is — other nations appears to be indifferent in categorizing the crimes of such people — like Osman Sonko as the same pain levels — but to a much lesser degree, as bad evil people are inflicting in their communities.

Now, Osman Sonko — the architect of brutal techniques of regime — easily running away is a clear acknowledgment of out of control the lethal consequences he authored for Gambians and further exposes the threat Gambians face at home and elsewhere. Few blue moons ago, the man was thumping his chest out in the towns of Gambian with a chip on his shoulder, behaving as if he was bedrock of the regime and trying to sugarcoat a label on the disaster he helped create in Gambia. The sad thing is that; his victims weren’t given the chance of life to tell their stories. He stood tall above them in a hurry to put the lasting scars of their silence in the heart of their families. As he seats alone shivering in his warm tears — thinking about everything he left behind, please reflect on the scars on your palms — that bore the scars of many Gambian heroes. You have reached the shores of Sweden but you still have a far journey left to go. The journey of seeking forgives from the Gambian people. If you choose to follow the foot prints of the goodwill Bai Lowe took with courage — to apologies to the Gambian people, your heart will get the counseling and the shepherd it needs to overcome the extraordinary toll of your burden of guilty conscience. Until then, you are welcome brother! but we will be much happier — when you leave.

By habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

Yahya Jammeh’s milquetoast presidency has not had the results of a revolutionary reformer many Gambians had hoped for because — it has caused increased divisions within the Gambian population and caused much more embarrassing disappointments — for younger people who feel lost in an era that was supposed to give them a sweet taste of life with all that it has to offer. Today, the issues of Gambia since its founding have not changed, and the biggest political problems facing our country can be traced to Yahya Jammeh’s incompetence and extreme love of power. Our institutions are used as ponzi schemes to nourish their greed and satisfy their lust of luxury at the detriment of weak Gambian people. His empty —symbolic rituals of constant demagogue of the west and Gambian diaspora, is just to provide him the ideological cover away from his failures of following through on his sworn promises. Not the least of which is — not committing to policy programs that advances our country. That only leaves him with little leverage to work around his bombastic words and digging himself out of trenches of incompetence –in order to influence any form of an agenda that works for Gambia.

This and more was expected of Yahya Jammeh, but he creates a laundry list of problems and irresponsible scandals that— cheapens his authority— thus creating a political culture of knowingly dishing out empty promises that undermines trust and invites deceit. In part, his crimes against the Gambian people and his abstract ideals of buying off communities, have left him with so little few ways of actually earning the trust of Gambians or even wave away the significance of consequences waiting for him— as a results of violating his oath of office. knowing why Yahya Jammeh brands Gambian diasporians with names, is essential for this upcoming elections and should serve as an eye opener to all Gambians. His sordid campaign against the diasporians to dubbed us as bad unpatriotic citizens, conspiracy-mongering people and discerning judgments of our hard work to laughable extremes shouldn’t come as no surprise.

The man is so burden with guilt as he sits by idly observing his experiences of failing to meet his low standards of expectations — that he set for himself. His quest of staying in power to enrich himself along with his gang of buddies — distributing ownership rights of our state institutions amongst themselves, whiles neglecting the daily struggles our mothers go through to provide meals and livelihood for their families— was rightly not met with warm considerations by Gambians in the diasopra. This angered him bitterly to such an extend of giving him the shock and awe of his life. He continues looking for ways to elevate Gambia’s struggle for us not to recover anytime soon from his brutal dictatorship — in perpetuity. It doesn’t only stop there for him. He is always working on creating obstacles of— heavy burden of — constraint on the shoulders Gambians whom are doing the work of the regime for its citizens. However, Gambians are Undeterred by those obstacles and simultaneously walking through those challenges whiles striving very hard for opportunities that follows — with the values of hard work. Hence, the great stories of the road from struggle to triumph are the hallmark of the Gambians.

He never misses an opportunity for his low minded rhetoric’s that paints a dark picture of Gambians as —good for nothing people who wash dishes in restaurants, work as janitors “forbarekat” and clean up sick elderly people in hospice. He often references our struggles we go through to overcome tremendous adversity in providing for our families, friends, and our countryfolks— whom his regime failed in some major way, and not just economically. His crude standards of rebuking the Gambians —by appealing to the worst impulses of his loyalist, warms the hearts of some people whom— he is counting to preserve whatever turns out to be his legacy.

In a figurative blink of the eye, Unfortunately, he got so bold enough to try cementing his legacy of laziness on the backs of our women and got too comfortable with financial upheaval he puts Gambian Diaspora through—as a result of taking care of the needs of the citizens. And that’s not all. Gambia is venturing closer to bankruptcy because of wasteful spending and unnecessary debts— that he continues wrap around the neck of our country. Instead of him dusting himself off and doing what other leaders are currently doing in New York, such as — striking deals for development, pursuing investors to bring factories in their countries, he is working to cause us on more pain by proposing his self-imposed mandatory Islamic state.

This kind of quest will further divide our country, isolate our country further from the rest of the world and cannot be not met with warm considerations and prayers only. Gambians have good reason to start thinking of electing a President this election cycle — who will listen to the cries of the nation and work for the people. Gambian diaspora cannot continue to be on the receiving end of the regimes troubles for the next coming decades. Although, we are far more than an advocate for kidnapped citizens, tortured victims, exposing Yahya Jammeh’s Ponzi schemes, breaking the regime cycle of subservience to special interests, solving spectrum of disproportionate issues in Gambia and elsewhere. Be that as it may— but we cannot continue on this trend for the next five years. In Gambia, friendships tend to fade away when one’s job ends or when the regimes fire someone. It doesn’t end there only. As people get older, they feel unneeded in society. Most families do think deep down in their hearts that— the country is not a safe place to raise their kids anymore with the never ending violence on our men. Our opposition politicians are brave enough to declare their interest in restoring our nation back to sanity knowing full well what terror awaits them— if they lose this election.

And at most, Gambians may want to consider seriously — the existential threat that Yaya Jammeh is to the nation now — squeezing out everything available on the hands of Gambians to unsustainable levels and releasing seemingly unstoppable terror to anyone he wishes. It takes remarkable hubris to assume this man will change for the better after twenty-two years of having it his way. That thought, deserved far more attention than anything and should be the most important topic of this presidential cycle— more specifically to form a coalition. We all know from experience after December 2nd — if we do not put our acts together — that the most presumable issues of problem of Gambia in Yahya Jammeh’s mind is —us the citizens. Gambia’s problems begin with Yaya Jammeh and ends in our homes, whether you like it or not. Virtually every facet of our lives has changed. We have seen too many horrors and heard so many heartbreaking stories which we never imagined— such things will happen to our people and let alone our country. Beyond that, the problems to be addressed for our country are numerous and not the least of which is —broader public awareness of the consequences of his brutal rule. Let’s all get together in unity of one coalition and pack away this monstrous regime.

By habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

 By: Ousainou Mbenga

The science fictions of creating monsters in the laboratory usually include a plan to kill the monster when it gets out of control.

In the tragedy that befell our beloved Gambia; those who created the monster Jammeh made the fatal mistake of not having a plan to “neutralize” him when he gets out of control. Notwithstanding that this “experiment” was conducted outside the laboratory, there were ample signs of an uncontrollable monster in the making. Out of the original five council members, Jammeh emerged to the top through monstrous acts of outright barbarism. Sadibou Hydara was murdered under custody; Sana sabally imprisoned for 9 years, Edward Singhateh and Yankuba Touray are permanently emasculated after Jammeh soiled their hands with the blood of other soldiers and civilians alike.

A few among us raised the warning alarm from day one about these traitorous “soldiers with a difference” shrouded in “transparency, accountability and probity”. But his creators were afflicted then and now with a broad “political blind spot” which retarded their ability for insight and foresight. The “anything but Jawara” slogan became the “anthem” of the foolhardy creators who lifted the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) onto the “saddles of power”. And the downtrodden –meddlesome masses, misled by the euphoria of the empty promises for change became the cannon fodder for their lighting “ascension to power” and ultimately the formation of the civilianized Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC). Plans to control Jammeh’s monstrous actions came a little too late from soldiers and their civilian allies who took Jammeh for granted.

From the AFPRC to APRC; a span of 22 years of Jammeh’s tyranny has brought us to another crossroad far more dangerous and volatile than the crossroads we found ourselves in 1994. In fact the wretched conditions in our beloved Gambia have degenerated to unprecedented levels. The social and political conditions under which monsters could be created still present themselves. With escalating uncertainty, the youth see no future to look forward to but the treacherous “back Way” for the” not so greener pastors” of Europe. Our women folk, mostly the mothers of these youth, have come to realize that they have been used and discarded by Jammeh and his APRC. Worst still are the young women who share the same fate as young men but have been reduced to sex objects in return for jobs and other menial favors from the APRC.

Remnants of Jammeh’s creators are still around, notwithstanding, some have regretted their association with the Jammeh regime. Many are jumping out of the rudderless APRC ship on the brink about to sink. On the other hand, the willfully ignorant “loyalists” are desperately clinging on to the monster’s tentacles hoping for another election victory for Jammeh on December 1, 2016.

The ominous slogan “anything but Jammeh” must not be part of our discourse just as “anything but Jawara” wasn’t. It is an insult to settle for “anything” after 22 years of rudderless leadership. This is the moment to make DEMANDS of our leaders and put them to the test; not giving them a chance. We must not leave anything to chance with endless wishing.

We must cultivate the society that creates leaders whose “humility is their strength and integrity their greatness”. We must choose from the best sons and daughters of our beloved Gambia for leadership. Putting leadership to the test and challenging their wrong decision are the only guarantees against the abuse of authority. The masses of our people must become more meddlesome in the affairs of government and not leave it to the whims of presidents and their cronies.  

In conclusion, our “nation” in anguish is at a critical juncture of our history, demanding for leadership to rescue us from Jammeh’s tyranny. This is the ultimate test to the opposition parties of our beloved Gambia. The vast majority of Gambian voters are poised for the final offensive against the Jammeh regime and ready to cast their lot with a united opposition on December 1, 2016. Are you leaders of the opposition parties ready to make history with the Gambian voters? The political terrain is now more fertile than ever before, let’s plant the seeds and cultivate the upright leadership now and forward into subsequent generations.

ONE GAMBIA! ONE NATION! WE WILL WIN!

                                                        No more monsters in our midst!

The sunset of Yaya Jammeh’s exceedingly rancorous presidency is about to occur in December 1st election but he is trying to resuscitate his image from his lengthy records of self-inflected wounds. Indeed, Yaya Jammeh has often revised his convenient tall tales of excuses depending on the campaign needs at hand. However, over the span of twenty-two years, he has erected so many monstrous shadow of dark clouds monuments on the minds/hearts of Gambians and put our country through tremendous turbulence of brutal dictatorship that continues to raise our eyebrows. Among them are — the dark clouds of April 10/11, the heavy rain of terror on April 14/16, the constant abuse of power, corruption, cover ups, and the daily terror he put Gambians through — purposely driven by his ego-driven politics of greed. Unquestionably, his intentional demagoguery of Gambian population and his failure to seek redemption that comes thereafter from wronging the Gambian population, has manifested itself into call for change of regime that spread to all parts of the country. Yaya Jammeh’s forays of scandals hovering over his head, has in fact limited his strength and it has helped spawn the once loose assemblage of citizens in the diaspora into a powerful force now of reckoning. His misplaced priorities by his nature of governance, has tarnished and littered our country with numerous scandals and political intrigue — that now plagues many Gambians.

It is also becoming increasingly evident of the dark cloud hovering over his head and mistrust of his once closest allies, propelled him — to fire one of the most prolific authors of tortures and horrific assassinations of citizens in Gambians history — Osman Sonko. Osman Sonko’s actions as one of the architect of brutal crimes — and his front zipper problems, have place him on the bottom of the sympathy threshold as one of the two most disliked figures in Gambia. Even prior to his dismissal, Yaya Jammeh knew an unpopular — naturalized Cassamance native at the front line of terror against the Gambian population, holding on such a high profile post on spotlight after his men — were involved in the murder of Solo Sandeng was tentative. Was it done to provide much needed political cover or is the little monster he created in Osman Sonko sufficiently got — too tough for his consumption? Time will tell. Of course the firing of one of the lesser of two evils — Osman Sonko, is a welcome news for Gambia, but we hope it was not done more specifically — to gain traction or credibility amongst the families they both victimized. If Yaya Jammeh doubles down further to release all political prisoners, compensate the tortured women and release the UDP executives, then he will be patted on his back by only few people. But the truth is — Yaya Jammeh have found himself in a remarkable quagmire of his crimes with tremendous consequences for the Gambian population — if he is allowed to lead the country again.

Yet, Yaya Jammeh wants Gambians to empty our hearts forcefully from all his of deliberate failings, his intentional mistakes, his frailties to our nation and instead, wants us to blindly associate him with sense of awe and respect as the developer? Huh! The man had the opportunity to lead our nation with dignity, not with — terror or playing hide and seek with Gambian citizens. We are in a unique moment in history where Gambians are finally taking notice of his irreversible abuse of power and his absence on UN world stage as a result of being — so isolated. Many of his peers — harbor an intense dislike of how he continues to cause problems in their region and Gambians are so dissatisfied with the nation’s current path under his watch. Realizing this and his visceral experience of encounter with the angry Gambian diasporians over the years, it gave him much goose bumps to stay out of eyesight as he continues doing what he does best — for his own interest. But that calculation may very well poised to fumble once more a great opportunity to advocate for — investments, medicines badly needed for our hospitals, seek solutions to advance our nation’s technologies but instead, they have reduced the summit to a reading event for his ministers. What else other than this — can be more evident as a proof that Yaya Jammeh is an obstructionist for Gambians advancement?

Today, we are at a key juncture because the regime that has caused large-scale repression, wants to legitimacy through elections again. For twenty-two years, the man cannot take a single responsibility of his own policies but — continues to distort and disgrace the legacy of PPP government to distract Gambians. He knows consciously behind his mind — what Gambia was yesterday — and its historic place in the world — as the smiling coast of Africa to — it’s new identity of the crying coast of hopelessness and terror he helped shaped Gambia today. It does not stop there with him, he wants to preserve that identity for five more years overshadowed with — extremely difficult times, unimaginable consequences of terror for Gambians he harbors vendetta, and gives us a final blow of collateral damage of our economy.

Given the tentative nature of December 1st election and all the various compounding factors of terror that awaits the Gambian population — if the regime is given another 5-year mandate, not the least of which is — the potential for a controversial Islamic State of Yaya Jammeh and hard times that lays ahead for all Gambians– including those in the diaspora. Gambians should be encouraging their love ones to all come out in their large numbers and vote for the opposition. Be watchful of foreigners at our polling stations. Gambians should look out for people marching in the voting booth with their figure stained with ink — from previously voting. Give them high fives whiles watching their fingers. Sadly, this is the way Gambians can legally opted out from another course of cruel dictatorship. So again — our call for the opposition leaders to form a formidable coalition to send a powerful blow of rejection of Yaya Jammeh’s regime. But the battle is not over.

We all know Yaya Jammeh and his regime are now on their heels — cunning political maneuver to impact the elections outcomes by undoubtedly offering whatever stories they can cook up as an excuse to the Gambians and further attempting to divided the opposition parties. We cannot allow the dictatorship train — full of enticing gifts to leave the station and start deceiving the Gambians they have failed for twenty -two down the tracks. Let’s derail this train before it continues to grind on reaching December 2nd elections. We need to forge a new path that empowers Gambians to take control of their destiny as a people and have a credible government that respects the diversity of contemporary Gambians. Here is our chance, let’s not blown it again.

By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

Gambians have been used to never ending pausing cycles of bad news such that they are prone to react to any headlines to draw their conclusions when uncertain of outcomes of much anticipated events are happening behind the scenes. Opposition leaders and party officials have indicated their willingness to participate in coalition talks, perpetuating a continual theme of interest of the Gambian population before going in the December elections. However, political chicanery by inexperience political strategist and spoilers in opposition camps leaking out narratives of incomplete statements that are overburdened by political limitations of certain party leaders are upsetting people, having negative repercussions on people’s fragile mind and causing unnecessary misdirection that could be read as purely diversionary. The protracted bloodletting of people’s characters in this consequential election year process has intensified unnecessarily. But that’s not all. Inflammatory scare tactic by the regime agents are meant to denigrate the good work in progress and to seriously antagonize people. The special-interest folks who are worried about losing their political agendas; their opposition to coalition has grown and are doing everything behind the sense to thwarts any progress that will result in unity. Primarily among those most threatened by it’s success: Yaya Jammeh and his buddies who indeed wants to see it careen of the cliff.

There’s nothing wrong in someone voicing their concerns about a particular candidate’s position and policies. What matters is whether the outcomes they seek are reasonable to enhance coalition efforts. Behind the facade from each of the opposition camps and whatever public narrative they are trying to spin — their main goals are fundamentally about one thing and that is political power. We just hope everyone is sincere in their participations and their efforts are not just to be used as a political ploy but because it is the only way to go against the dictatorship head on and help create some certainty for the easily spooked Gambians. It is frustrating that Yaya Jammeh and his agents are engaged in daily mischarterization of events, placing in constraints of many rules on the oppositions and micromanaging details that may lead to removing dictatorship from our beloved country. Those constraints included the barring of the warm magnetism of Sir Dawda’s powerhouse from politics, whose wisdom would have been highly appreciated at this moment to harsh out policies and Yaya Jammeh made sure he knocked out other heavy-weights of intellectuals into exile, whose analysis and expertise would have sealed the deal by now or a least speed the coalition talks to new heights.

Essentially, we are lacking someone with the warm magnetism that fits the personality of Sir Dawda and share his shame political philosophy. Someone who is a cerebral thinker in seeking solutions keenly witted much like the father of our nation and everyone will listen to when he speaks. Also, even our coach –Pa Samba of Duga would admit that his sense of humor was absolutely infectious. So far, I have identified the likes of Karamba Tourey who is very eloquent and able to foster the noble wholesome ideals of the Gambian cause. Well as the Americans say “You go to war with the army you have but not the army you wish for”. It is no secret that the impact of the toxic fruits of labor of “denigrating peoples character “ by those Gambians with chameleon tendencies whose efforts of yesterday, undermined those decent intellectual’s — by leaking unparalleled mischaracterizing of damaging misconceptions about them and exposing humiliating mistakes of their personal lives to the press. They have since shy them away from participation at this critical time. Too many of our experts or young Gambians who learn the knowledge of polical science, appear to be in retreat mode after what they view or heard being done to other Gambians character — slaughtered on the world stage and the coming peril of Facebook live video activities and beyond. Furthermore, there’s been little policy leadership on the airways on what we could be doing better –strategically to improve unity for the coalition talks. Imagine all the opposition camps and leaders converge in Dakar with the likes of Dr. Sidat Jobe, Seedy Sanneh, Dr. Amadou Janneh, Dr. Saine, Dr. malanding Jaiteh, Dr. Baba Galleh Jallow, Fatou Jaw Manneh and many more experienced Gambians with a lifetime of elective service and experience at every level of government scatted throughout the world. Such people would have sat across each other with our politicians and presidential hopefuls, hashing out issues to deliver on coaliation goals?

Sadly, Gambians are dying from left, right, and center as results of dictatorships everywhere including in prisons. Some are matched with the description of spiritual witchcrafters wishes to be used as spiritual rituals sacrifice. The hopeless young lads are losing their lives in risky backway journey. Our sisters are sold against their consent into modern day slavery in Arab countries and political opponents of the regime are losing their lives in the new style of exterminations to extinction by — being fed to hungry crocodiles. Those kids whom the education system failed need an alternative curriculum to retake the WASEC exams like how the USA provide GED alternative course to those who fail to complete high school . Hopeless Gambians are appealing to all opposition leaders and our intellectuals to participate in facilitating the efforts to get a single coalition for the December elections. This is a unique opportunity for a worthy legacy second to none in our history since the birth of Gambia as a republic. Gambia needs all of you out there to succeed.

With that said, I will like to draw the esteem readers’ attention to three events that happened in history, with the hope that it can inspire our political leaders and all of us.

First event – Pill of Wisdom: The heart touching story of the keys of the Kaaba

When the prophet(SAW) re-entered Makka and attempted to enter the Kaaba (House built by prophet Ibrahim), the key of the Kaaba was with a non-believer by the name of Ousman ibnu talha. One of the Prophets companion by the name of Ali (RAD) was ordered to get the key from Ousman ibnu talha. He went and asked for the key but the man refused. He then snatched the key swiftly from him and the Kaaba was opened for the Prophet (SAW) to enter. After the prophet completed his prayers — precisely two raka’s, the angle Gibril descended from heavens with instructions in the verses of the Quran. “Indeed, GOD commands you to render trusts to whom they are belong to …..” ( 4:58). They immediately rushed to give the key by to Ousman ibnu Talha whom Ali(RAD) found sitting sad. He was astonish to learn that, GOD himself commanded the keys to be returned to him and it shall stay with his family until day of reckoning. He accepted the faith and eventually got known as Ousman ibul talha (RAD). The lesson we draw here is: No one can snatch the key of coalition from the oppositions and go it alone to elections with Yaya Jammeh. All the opposition have suffered a great deal under Yaya Jammeh’s hands — especially the likes of the UDP party. So the keys of trust must be handed to a candidate of one coalition- as the trust of the people to take on Yaya Jammeh.

Second event – Pill of Wisdom: There is harm in asking too many unnecessary questions and being involved in misconceptions.

We understand everyone have entrenched interest to see military dictatorship end in the Gambia and we finally lay out concrete policies to ensure it never occurs again. People are suffering in Gambia but what makes this election more interesting is; there are large networks of stridently loyal party supporters – plus other concerned citizens are who are throwing misconceptions at other party leaders and asking irrelevant questions that amounts to a cohort that ought to be easily motivated to political outrage and requires immediate action for a truce. We already see the writings on the wall that- some people will never be satisfied with a particular candidate. Party surrogates cannot answer practical questions that their candidates ought to answer. It causes endless confusion and dissatisfactions. That brings to the verse which was revealed in the Quran chapter 5 verse 101 “O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you”. It is said there was a man who kept asking the prophet about how many times can one perform a pilgrimage “Hajj” after the verses were reveal for those who can to perform it if they have the means. He kept repeating his question about thrice according to some narrations but the prophet was kept quiet. Then the Prophet uttered the words “No, but I fear that if I said yes, then it will be made compulsory”. After then, the verse of chapter 5 verse 101 was revealed. Others alluded to another time when a man inquired about details of his father to the Phophet (SAW). Anyway, the lesson we draw he is : No matter how brilliant and game changing your misconceptions might be against another candidate, it will not help us in fighting the dictator that much. This is not to say we cannot ask relevant questions, but it shouldn’t be a “catch you moment” which may unintentionally further complicate our mission. We are all ridesharing this coalition effort against dictatorship. The Gambian public lacks information about the dictatorship necessary to make crucial voting decisions and to hold them accountable for their failed promises.

Third event – Pill of Wisdom: Trust but verify and do not continue to question peoples sincerity base on their past

We must accept those who sincerely repented from dictatorship and welcome others with open arms who worked under the regime — to serve their nation but either left or were expelled. The political jockeying of bashing each other should end except when someone decides to go it alone . In all honestly, GDC coming in and joining the coalition gives us a stellar opportunity to generate substantial votes away from Yaya Jammeh to the opposition camp. Its time to dig in and built a strong coalition against the dictator by moving forward on an agreement that would not only propel the efforts of coalition, but substantially advance it in the right direction. This is a clear visible reminder that we should avoid throwing stones on a glass house. It seems peoples effort are unintentionally making us heading to the weak web house -made out of spider web- to seek shelter there. The problem is the web house does not protect us from the wet season of dictatorship and cold season as well. This draws us to the quranic lesson to learn some wisdom which would be beneficial to us. When the verses prohibiting certain food and other intoxicants were revealed, people were greatly concerned that there were some believers who died whiles prohibited things were in their stomach before the verse was revealed. So GOD then revealed the verse forgiving those people in chapter 5 verse 93. It states “There is not upon those who believe and do righteousness [any] blame concerning what they have eaten [in the past] if they [now] fear GOD and believe and do righteous deeds, and then fear GOD and believe, and then fear GOD and do good; and GOD loves the doers of good. The lesson we learn here is: let move on from judging people whom were serving their country and later parted ways with the dictator. We do not have time of going on wild rides that continues to ignite unnecessary battles because- Gambians are facing substantial challenges daily, not the least which is indiscriminate killings of our citizens and we are in need of relief from dictatorship. If GDC is able to bring in votes from the last dying breeds of the APRC voters and exert influence on the dye hard loyalist into the coalition, then the coalition will be in a much better shape.

Finally, let us remember that Yaya Jammeh has turned Gambian into a country where it’s people and businesses are fleeing out of our beloved country en masse. More native Gambians are being moved out by the dictatorship and foreigners are pouring in. These people are the folks the dictator counts on to give him the victory he needs. Lets remember that- coalition is the only typically a polical landmine that dismantles dictatorship during elections and understandably so causing sleepless nights for the dictator. There is too much at stake for Gambians in particular if our opposition leaders fail to deliver it. There will be so many headwinds giving those engage in talks a pause but be rest assured that Gambian people are behind those working on achieving a strong coalition. Let’s hold our hands together in prayers to see it succeed.

By Habib ( A concerned Gambia)

The abrasive rhetoric coming from the party surrogates towards each other has reached a boiling point in recent weeks and perhaps, this underscores the broader need for a better party talking points strategy —rather than catering to a particular political perspective. Attempting to run an election campaign with unnecessarily rhetoric, historically, at least, has proven a foolhardy for encouraging unity. But preaching to the choir does little to unite people against the dictator, make progress in crossover appeal or change minds of worried undecided voters in a very flattering way. At this point in time, some people with credible knowledge about strategies to walk around the dictatorship potholes and others with political influence in the diaspora, should be working in tandem with various party leaders to facilitate unity. We all agree that it is time to thoughtfully engage people in an attempt to pick out the best candidate for coalition. They have a great opportunity to use their influence in such a way that it would correct past errors, promoting a sense of unity to temper down the current political angst and the rabid infighting, while at the same time fulfilling their long-overdue promise of helping to dislodge dictatorship.

However, the surrogates battle on the airwaves has picked up pace and some people are responding, in many instances, with defiance that their party alone can defeat the dictator. It’s funny anecdotally, but it is not the way forward. Other hopefuls, embittered in desperation, are pulling out all the stops to derail Dr. Touray and unleashed a brash onslaught of attacks on her apparent momentum, attempting to paint her as imposing herself on people. This undermines trust and invites deceit. The intemperate remarks of surrogates only create havoc within the parties and destroying any prospects of possible single coalition for stopping Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s reelection come December. Their opinions have become an albatross of disunity, squabbling over irrelevant issues, and bickering over the candidates, thus leaving Gambians incredibly frustrated and dumbfounded by the over-politicization going on social media and the airwaves used as a divisive political weapon.

Some are very bitter, chastising people and even resorting to bullying tactics publicity stunts by making wild statements about people instead of addressing the issues. In fact, because of this flagrant problem, most Gambians find it difficult to support them enthusiastically. Yet, most people fail to realize that these attacks the presidential hopefuls are equally offensive, if not foolish and entirely off-base, and they have consequences. There is too much is at stake and this is giving the dictator the distraction he needs to continue terrorizing Gambians and resting comfortability. If the hypothetical opinions of surrogates broadcasted on the online radios in regards to the upcoming election seems confusing or is ostensibly giving you pause– don’t worry, you are not alone but the great news is party officials are doing ground work in an attempt to forge a coalition ahead. Of course, some of surrogates or people within party will be promoting their candidates flawlessly in an attempt to sell their candidate but they end up making it seem like there is a potential intra-party competition.

The Dictator too is desperately seeking to find his mojo back but it’s too late for his to be relevant again because his hands are all stain win blood and sins of his victims. As of now, beyond the partisan pummeling, the party leaders are working behind the scenes and we pray that they strike a deal for a coalition. Perhaps most serious, regardless of disagreements, let’s not give the dictator chance to lick his wounds because he is untrustworthy and incapable of governing our beloved Gambia. The problems to be addressed are numerous but misconceptions about individuals and party positions tends to stunt progress on other fronts. In fact, our assumptions about others, in other words, can easily hinder our ability to honestly deal with each other and create vital solutions. The good thing is, there is some cause for optimism though, because — there is a current inter party meeting going in Gambia initiated by PDOIS — with the possibility of a coalition breakthrough. Beyond that, let’s find effective means of dealing with our concerns and communicating their beliefs effectively in a persuasive manner — if you wish to hold a candidate’s feet’s to the fire in clarifying their positions.

However, the most troubling thing is Yahya Jammeh is sitting by untouched, enjoying people in the opposition parties pitting against each other in a dangerous political game and licking his wounds. The consequences of which may backfire and have dire electoral consequences for the opposition grass root to get excited in rally around one candidate for the coalition and, more importantly, on productive political discourse progress. Dictator Yaya Jammeh have dispatched his team of ministers with their mayor and are using the political opportunity— by quietly running away from the spotlight whiles bowing their heads low to their knees to walk around issues. It is troubling that they are conducting apology tours in villages for their worrisome missteps and doing their typical local politics of using the nation resources to buy off people with societal influence. This is indeed an outage but the good thing is: two decades of demagoguery of the opposition and killing of the Gambian people from Yahya Jammeh has manifested itself into call of change and spread to all parts of the country.

Time is moving fast towards election and kicking the can of unity down the road is not the wisest thing to do. People should remember our elders and tortured women are in prisons —in various part of the country, sleeping on hard wooden beds infested with mosquitoes and the most degrading toilet facilities. The demagoguery against party leaders and people only deepens divides at a time when the Gambians citizens are looking for optimism and a reason to band together and tackle challenges facing the country for twenty-two years. Let’s rub our eyes lashes from the dust Yahya Jammeh blow in our eyes and wash them with water to see him as the enemy-not ourselves. We should avoid the unthinkable become reality in December 2nd because the Godfather of dictatorship will symbolically began passing the torch to his eldest son -Muhammed. Still, the pathway of progress has to be primarily cleared by all party leaders whom are driven to serve us to show up in meetings unless they are ill, instead of their deputies to answer the difficult existential questions. It is probably wise to take heed now because unity and superstition (our lifelong companion of setbacks) in our politics to take on the dictatorship has always been our uphill climb to enlightenment.

Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)