(JollofNews)- I am still struggling to get my mind around what democracy means for our collective future. I won’t try to sort it out here in a Facebook post.
Alas! The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That is a dictatorship—the ownership of a government by an individual, by a group, or by any controlling private power is an anathema to democracy.
What I will say is that what happened can’t be explained simply as a failure of the political establishment—although it has failed spectacularly. Nor is it simply a problem of demagoguery or sycophancy—although both are alive and well and flourishing at this moment. Nor is this fledgling democracy simply a matter of humans being treated as disposable—like plastic bottles tossed in a landfill—as political and social media elites spew propaganda that encourages us to view “the others” as the enemy.
The problem runs deeper than all of that. The truth is we are stumbling badly in large part because we are just beginning to learn to walk. Roughly 22 years ago, we had a quasi-democracy; it was not a true democracy by any stretch. We still don’t have a real democracy. But we’ve recently managed to revive a new democratic-like system.
In the words of William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Our leaders should be aware of democracy and avoid demagoguery but again be mindful of “clicktivism and sycophantism politics.”
It is said that humans are creatures of habit; perhaps that is why George Sanataya cautioned, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” On the other hand, maybe you agree with Mark Twain who said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
In today’s Gambia, with what rhyme and reason do we proceed? As we listen to our nation’s leaders and watch their ways, it is becoming quite apparent that history continues to repeat itself. Consider the following.
Our political leaders are often misadvised and misdirected because the majority of those they rely on to govern are demagogues and sycophants who hardly tell them the truth.
The extent to which demagoguery and sycophancy have taken over reality and stunted our political development can be gauged from the daily praising of failed politicians, so-called muckrakers, and spineless pundits on social media, often selling to innocent Gambians falsehood and propaganda to the extent that the wrong people are appointed to sensitive and important positions.
No leader would say that things should not move forward in the country. The problem is the people around them, who don’t advise them well. I have observed that ninety-nine percent of people who hover around our political leaders are sycophants and praise-singers.
Let us be frank with our leaders to get us out of where we are today. Gambian politics is in trouble because the citizens have allowed deception, denial, disinformation, diversion, evasion, exaggeration, indoctrination, lying, media manipulation, mind control, propaganda, scapegoating and smear campaigns, which are the signs of sycophancy in our politics and governance.
I believe our democracy must be freed from the suffocating grip of an all-knowing typical “African Big Man” myth. Comrades Solo Sandeng and Solo Nkrumah, along with other folks, did not die for us to have a quasi-democracy. They died so that we can be free; they died so that we can reap the abundant benefits of a democracy.
Think of Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Captain Ngaga Jagne and others who died fighting for our democracy. Gambians will spit on their graves when we let democracy slip away into the sewer of benevolent dictatorship akin to Yahya Jammeh. Never Again!
Gambia is a country ready to be taken—in fact, longing to be taken—by political leaders ready to restore democracy and trust the political process after all the bitter horrors of Yahya Jammeh’s rule.
The Gambian people don’t want a democracy that can’t guarantee its citizens one square meal a day, a democracy that can’t guarantee three hours of electricity daily, a democracy that can’t afford to allow people to protest, a democracy that can’t guarantee the freedom of the press and of speech and respect for the Constitution, a democracy that is standing on its head, a democracy that takes one step forward and three backward.
Let us never forget that the government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not President Barrow and government officials, but the voters of this country.
The government is us; we are the government, you and me. We can heal the wounds of this nation or aggravate such wounds. We can bring peace to this nation or cause chaos to erupt in it.
We are very hungry for a new beginning. We want President Barrow to help “Make the Gambia Great Again” by making our institutions strong, as strong institutions would make our democracy great again.
We want our leaders to build a thriving multi-ethnic, multi-faith, egalitarian democracy out of the rubble of dictatorship. Gambian people are interested in being part of something larger than the sort of small, petty, slash-and-burn politics that we have been seeing over the past several years.
Consider also that it requires time for best advices to be translated into tangible gains on the ground. And yes we should critically hold the govt to account. However making gambia great again lies in the domain of all of us.
FOR THE AUTHORITIES IN POWER, SIX MONTHS IN MATTERS OF GOVERNANCE IS AN INSIGNIFICANT PERIOD, WHILE FOR THE GOVERNED CAN BE AN ETERNITY:
The beginning of an Administration, especially, the Agendas and Issues Placed at the Top of the Administration, Demonstrates in Part how the Administration intends to Govern or Not Govern. Six Months into the life of an Individual who is Well to do and to those in Power may be “Peanuts”, but an Eternity to the Rest of the Population, the Governed. The Important thing is How and What is Achieved in the Six Months By Whom and for Whom? How Broad Based and Representative is the Government and the Civil Service. Is the Government Top Heavy, and Consumes a Substantial and Large Amount of Revenue, that is, GDP and GNP? Are Basic Needs Being Met During the Six Months? “Same Old Same Old” “Winner Take All” Policy is Detrimental and Destructive To the Democratic Dispensation and Dividend of any Nation State especially in the Gambian Case. Small is Beautiful, Only when it is For All and Not Just a Sub-section of the Nation State. In Natural Resource Deprived Gambia, with an Inter-related Population, a Large Young Population, that is Rural, Agricultural and Low in many Economic, Health and Vital Statistics, can be Eternity. Six Months of a Government is like Six Months of a Marriage. It Cannot Begin or Start on the Wrong Footing and Expect to Endure Unless Drastic, Measured and Equally Broad Based Inclusive Give and Take, of Governance and Less of, in the Gambia’s Case, a Tendency or Propensity toward Ethnic Group Based Politics and Regionalism. Six Months in the life a Nation State, is Six Months Geometrically Extrapolated Opportunity Costs to Economic Development, Health and Well-being of the Population if Not Approached in a Manner and Sense of Urgency with a Purposefully and Clear Agenda and Development Blue Print. The Social Welfare of the Population, Security, and the General Uplift of the Population Cannot Wait Until All the Personal and Personality Cult Excuses and Rationalizations are Dispensed Off. The State of Missouri has as it’s Motto, “SHOW ME”. The “New” Gambia needs to Endeavor to Adopt such a Motto and be as Nationally and Diplomatically Accountable and Transparent with All Gambians in All Matters Concerning the Gambia. The Unuseful Kneejerk Support and Reactionary Statements of “where were you when Jammeh was President”, or the General Unuseful name calling of anyone who appears to or is Perceived to be a “Critic” or Opposition to the UDP Led Regime, as a “Jammeh Enabler” is Simply Juvenile and Not Useful in any Democratic Dispensation or Peaceful Co-exitence between the Ruling Party, its Supporters and those who Supposedly Support other Parties and Politicians. Attempts to Shut down any and all who Differ on Issues of Concern to The Gambia by Supporters of the Current UDP Led Regime Against the Rest of the Gambia, is an Undesirable Developing “Ticking Bomb” that Needs to be Diffused by the Authorities in the Gambia, the Media, and All Gambian Stakeholders National and International. Kairo News for example, has Selectively “Blocked” Some Commentators from Posting on Kairo’s Online Platform who they Perceive as been Critics of the UDP Led Regime and or Some of the UDP Led Regime’s Personalities. This is Nothing Less than a Form of Censorship, Creating an Echo Chamber and Propercating “Group-think” with Like Minded Supporters and a Dismissal of Critics, Opposition and other Gambian’s Concern. Such a Development is a Step Backwards and Does not Add to Civility and Humility. By Allah/God knows that at this time in Gambia and the UDP Led Regime’s Governance, Gambia and Gambians Need Civility and Humility. Civility to Join hands and feet to Move toward a Gambia of Gambians First, the rest of Identifiers Last. Humility and Magnanimity of the Winners and Authorities, their Supporters IN and OUT the Gambia, among and between the Authorities and other Politicians and their Supporters. The African and Gambian “Winner Take All” Political and Economic Syndrome is still embedded in our Psyche and Social Fabric. We, all of Africa and Gambia specifically, Need to work hard to Exponge, Purge, and Cleanse such Disposition or Behavior from our Politics, and Society. Gambia is More than the Sum Total of One Ethnic Group, or Region. One People, One Destiny.
This is a thought provoking article from Alagi; Perhaps the answer is that the political and social culture that kept Jammeh in power for 22 years, still exists and may continue to exist for at least a generation. Whereby there was an Opposition during that time, but by a quirk of fate, the Opposition now hold power except for Mr Sallah and Mama Kandeh and Mr Jammeh. All in there own right are powerful but diverse in political terms. One could envisage Mr Kandeh and Mr Jammeh forming a coalition or an arrangement if a new Presidential/ General Election is called in two and a half years time. That being the case…How the present coalition perform or progress will have a great bearing on the future political landscape of Gambia.