Former US State Department official Musa Basad Jawara has raised concern over what he described as the infiltration of The Gambia’s body-politics by young politicians, who “aspire to higher” political office through “deceitful means”, cautioning against fast-track politics and character assassination.
“The Gambian political landscape is marred by young politicians who aspire to higher office through deceitful means, smearing others’ characters with vicious lies and caricatures that damage reputations and hinder national progress,” Jawara, a Japan-trained and US-matriculated economist said in a write-up shared with JollofNews.
He pointed out that this modus operandi of the concerned Gambia’s new crop of politicians not only erodes their standing but also deflects the national discourse from the realities of the moment and solutions for the future.
“This approach not only undermines the credibility of these politicians but also distracts from the real issues that need to be addressed for the country’s future. By focusing on character assassination rather than constructive policies, they’re doing a disservice to the Gambian people,” he stressed.
Jawara, who served at The Gambia’s trade and economic affairs ministry under the PPP dispensation as an economist, called for restraint.
“My final message to these politicians is to retract from deceit and vicious caricatures that damage people’s characters, and instead focus on constructive policies that benefit Gambia’s future,” Jawara wrote en route from Tokyo to Banjul via JFK New York.
“When politicians resort to smear campaigns and character assassination, it’s not just the individual being targeted who suffers, but the entire society. It creates a toxic environment that stifles constructive debate and undermines trust in institutions. Those politicians need to consider the long-term consequences of their actions on the nation’s development and people’s lives.”
