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| Momodou |
Posted - 11 Jul 2023 : 23:41:06
ALAGIE BARROW took on the Presidental Term Limits!
On Term Limits!
I find it difficult to commend anyone for doing what they are supposed to do. Still, this time, I’ll put that difficulty aside and cautiously applaud Macky Sall for telling us he will not do what he is not supposed to do in the first place, that is, run for a third term.
I, therefore, join my Bandam, Adama Barrow, and everyone else in commending Macky Sall for not doing what he’s not supposed to do. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for Barrow to “commend” Macky Sall, given that Barrow’s desire for more time in power is why he and his circle, including his then cabinet ministers, torpedoed the draft constitution.
Anyway, let’s all be duplicitous and commend Macky, even if we do not mean it. Ultimately, the people of Senegal and the subregion are the winners. And for me, that is what matters more than anything else. This is also why I truly commend the gallant people of Senegal who put Macky on guard that they will not tolerate or accept a third term from him. And speaking of the people of Senegal, I cannot help but imagine how the people of this Gambia would have reacted to Macky Sall if he was our president.
My cynical side insists that if Macky Sall were in The Gambia, we would be hoping and praying he doesn’t run for a third time, and if he does, we will claim it is Allah’s will. The simple-minded ones will engage in unending debates on whether it is lawful. Many of our intellectuals will write marathon essays that completely skirt the real issue of greed for power because they are worried about upsetting the politicians and losing their connections to the hustle. Some of our activists will seek funds in the name of good governance only to laugh all the way to the bank.
Many of our civil servants will continue business as usual and play dead, just as they did during Yaya’s tyranny. Our business elites will support Macky in the dark of night and play neutral during the day, claiming, “I’m not into politics.” Our opposition parties will argue over who should lead a coalition to unseat Macky. Some of our religious leaders will follow the money, while others will take a vow of silence, seeing everything wrong except the abuse of their congregation. Our parliamentarians will be too busy admiring the brand-new and expensive cars they are making poor Gambians pay for. I don’t need to go on, and you get the picture.
They say Senegalese and Gambians are the same people. I think we used to be Siamese Twins, but somehow, we conspired to turn ourselves into nonidentical twins. And our separation is not only reflected in how we act but also in how different we are in the things we choose to accept. Senegal refused to accept Macky Sall’s third-term desires. Gambians would have accepted it. But on to this third-term debate.
The Africans have been conditioned to believe that democracy, whatever it means these days, is monolithic. You’d think democracy is a one size fits all. That democracy is the answer to our poverty. And that a quintessential element of a true democracy is term limits. That one is democratic because they believe in term limits. That one is not democratic because they subscribe to self-perpetuation in power. But as with many words and phrases we regurgitate without truly thinking, our idea and definition of democracy is often self-serving.
You raise the topic of term limits, and those in favour of it will tell you term limits are a necessary ingredient for any true democracy. The African who is not in power believes in term limits until they get in power. Those who oppose term limits, often those benefiting from the people in power, will tell you there are no term limits in England, and those bold enough to call Israel a democracy will also cite Israel as an example of a place with no term limits. Some will tell you about the lack of term limits in the US Congress. Others will cite China. Others will say to you about Saudi Arabia, while some will point at Rwanda. That will cite many disparate examples to justify our position on issues that reflect a confused state. We don’t think and adapt. We copy and paste.
Many fail to realise that, unlike us Africans, many of the nations we anchor our positions to sat down, deliberated, and adopted their system of governance. They did not simply copy and paste and hope and pray it works as we do. We never question whether the lack of term limits in Israel can work for The Gambian situation. Those against term limits regurgitate the names of countries with no term limits to make their point. Similarly, many in favour of term limits hardly ever ask if term limits align with the characteristics of this imposed nation-state machinery.
One important distinction left out of the debate is when term limits should apply, especially within opposition circles in The Gambia. Should term limits only matter when one is in political power, or should term limits apply to any leadership position in which one gets elected? You don’t need to read the policies of our political parties to conclude that their leaders only subscribe to term limits when in power. But I ask again, should term limits only apply when in political power? Can’t one argue that leadership is leadership and no one leader should self-perpetuate at any level? Can you fault others if they find it hard to buy into anyone’s commitment to term limits if they occupy a position in a political party where every name in every situation changes except the names of the core leaders? I will say that self-perpetuation is not only applicable when in power. It also applies when you are in leadership. But thankfully, no one asked me.
Your support means the world to us! Please give our page a follow to keep up with our latest posts, and don't forget to hit that like button and share our content with your friends and family. Thank you for being a part of the OPEN GAMBIA PLATFORM community! Article contributed by ALAGIE SAIDY BARROW 11/07/2023! |
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