By Madi Jobarteh
The popular condemnation of UDP’s welcoming of key Dictator Enabler Lamin Jobarteh indicate the widespread desire of Gambians for justice and accountability. Fullstop.
Hence Adama Barrow and NPP & Ousainou Darboe and UDP must stop the despicable love affair with the party of the Tinpot Dictator and his key Enablers such as his ministers, NAMs, key surrogates, and perpetrators of human rights violations. All political parties must shun all perpetrators and enablers of dictatorship to demonstrate their commitment to justice and accountability.
UDP and NPP most especially should begin to act responsibly by realizing that a political party is not a ‘fural’ boys and girls club at a street corner. A political party is a national institution that must look like and represent the highest ideals and aspirations of the people. A political party must uphold the highest values and standards of democracy and republicanism.
These democratic and republican values are founded on and meant to uphold and protect the dignity of the human being. This is why The Gambia fought against colonialism to become a democratic republic in which all citizens are equal in rights and dignity.
Hence in a democratic republic no citizen has the right or the authority to violate the sovereign rights of another citizen. Where there are such allegations of abuse against any individual especially in his or her capacity as a public official then there must first be accountability. No individual should be excused from accountability until he or she is put through the due process to determine his or her guilt or innocence.
Similarly, no political party that is in government has the authority to abuse public institutions and transform them into weapons of terror to savage the rights and dignity of citizens and plunder public wealth without accountability. Where such abuses take place, such a party must be held accountable for it’s excesses while in office.
The fact is Yaya Jammeh and APRC and all these Dictator Enablers once had the unique opportunity to handle public office which is designed to serve and protect Gambians. But consciously and deliberately and actively, they chose to totally disregard the Constitution and the sovereign rights of Gambians and their own conscience and faith to unleash uncountable abuses on our people. Therefore, on what moral, political and legal grounds should such people be asked again to take part in the affairs of this society? They had their cake and they ate it, happily and greedily. So, they have no more cake to devour!
In light of the above, the despicable practice by UDP and NPP and Pres. Barrow to welcome key Dictator Enablers into their parties and government is utterly repugnant and a threat to justice and accountability. It is an irresponsible act that no decent party that understands democratic governance shall do.
Political parties are the pillars and vehicles of our governance system. It is political parties that produce the President, NAMs, Mayors and councilors. These are the representatives that run the institutions of governance and development in this country. Hence political parties run this country. Therefore a political party must be guided by the highest values and standards of democracy and republicanism otherwise they become liabilities to the country. By their actions, UDP and NPP are undermining national security, national unity and good governance.
The claim that despite NPP’s evil alliance with APRC or despite UDP’s shameful welcoming and celebration of Lamin Jobarteh, these parties and their leaders are still committed to TRRC recommendations is a nonsensical farce! It is a dishonest claim that only exposes the contemptible disregard of the values of democracy and human rights by these parties.
Actions speak louder than words. UDP and NPP cannot tell us that they can benefit from the support and cooperation of these Enablers yet be also prepared to put them to justice at another time. That’s double standards which is in itself unfair to these enablers.
UDP cannot enjoy Lamin Jobarteh’s support today and then win the election tomorrow only to arrest and hand over that same Lamin Jobarteh to the courts. Similarly NPP cannot tell us that they can enjoy APRC’s support today and win the election tomorrow only to seek the prosecution of Yaya Jammeh. If they can do that then they are also unfair to Lamin Jobarteh and Yaya Jammeh as they have only exploited them to win elections. A political party must not act in such a dishonest way!
Therefore it’s utterly nonsensical to justify these unholy alliances with the party and enablers of the Tinpot Dictator. What is expected of UDP and NPP is to respect The Gambia and her citizens by keeping at bay all known perpetrators and enablers until the TRRC makes its submission and justice is served. But by their actions, UDP and NPP are only telling us that the lives of Gambians do not matter, rather their hunger for power is what is most important.
Surely Solo Sandeng would not approve of such despicable actions of his own UDP party and his colleagues in NPP. Uncle Femi Peters is in shock at such blatant abandonment of principles by his comrades. Sidia Sanyang is in awe that his party and colleagues are hobnobbing with the agents of the party of tyranny! Indeed the fallen heroines and heroes of UDP are panting in their graves for the gross betrayal of their cause by those they left behind.
Therefore, I hereby condemn the UDP’s welcoming and celebration of Lamin Jobarteh and indeed all other key enablers of the Tinpot Dictator who have been adversely named before the TRRC and sanctioned by the Janneh Commission. I hereby condemn all political parties that saturate their parties with APRC NAMs and surrogates such as Seedy Njie and Co who had deliberately and actively sought to burn down this country for the selfish interest of the Tinpot Dictator.
For The Gambia Our Homeland
