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Momodou
Denmark
11696 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Aug 2006 : 23:29:56
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A MOMENTOUS OPPORTUNITY THAT SLIPPED AWAY
By Musa Camara
The National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) came into being by the unity of opposition political parties in The Gambia to avert the perpetuation of President Yaya Jammeh and his Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) government in power. At the behest of the President, the APRC dominated National Assembly amended the election clause of the constitution from at least fifty-one per cent to a simple majority as requirement for winning the presidency. Few were in doubt that this adulteration of the constitution was motivated by the president’s growing desperation to avoid a second round ballot, a real possibility given the rising gain by the opposition in the polls since the 1996 election. Even worse, he assumes authoritarian powers to embolden himself in the state machinery by consistent violation of the rule of law with impunity.
To many social and political observers, this unity in diversity of the opposition heralds a new era of political pragmatism that may facilitate the birth of a culture of democratic transfer of power in The Gambia, and also serves as model for emulation in the rest of Africa to reinforce the emerging trend of peaceful change of governments. They refer to this new political development as beacon of hope for Africa.
However, due to power struggle within the alliance during the leadership selection process, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) withdrew from NADD and subsequently formed the UDP/NRP coalition. Everyone came to the defense of NADD to rightly cast the blame on Messrs Ousainou Darboe the leader of the UDP and Hamat Bah the leader of the NRP for their breakaway from the original alliance as a result of their arrogance and contempt for democracy in the opposition political party.
Unbearable pressure was mounting on Messrs Ousainou Darboe and Hamat Bah, when they broke ranks with their pioneering colleagues in NADD after they had already called on the people to support the alliance for the salvation of The Gambia. They were on the defensive for abandoning this patriotic enterprise for their selfish seek of power until Mr. Halifa Sallah, NADD flag bearer and presidential candidate turned the table away from them with the release of his recent statements. I do not only disagree with Mr. Sallah on the contents of the statements but also on the manner of their release.
First and foremost, Mr. Sallah should have called a press conference instead of issuing press releases to finally and unequivocally explain to the people that NADD will not change the ideals on which it was founded for the mere accommodation of certain individuals; that NADD will nurture a dispensation of democracy.
Secondly, Mr. Sallah should have said that leaders are responsible for their actions especially those who seek national leadership; that Messrs Darboe and Bah who claimed to be a learned lawyer and a charismatic politician respectively, should not have only understood the letter and spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] before appending their signatures to it but should have known its implications; and where they failed to do that, these were major deficiencies that disqualify them to seek the office of president whose primary function is to sign agreements of similar nature with foreign governments, organizations and institutions. Furthermore, Mr. Sallah should have dismissed as irresponsible and reckless the excuses that Mr. Bah gave as mistakes by their signing of the MOU. Mr. Sallah should have strongly rejected the offer of negotiations for a future alliance (with their former colleagues) untrammeled with the conditions that only Mr. Darboe is acceptable to be the flag bearer and also without any arrangement for power sharing. Mr. Sallah should have exposed Mr. Hamat Bah’s disingenuousness and greed for the position of vice president which he pursuits with grandiose deceptions and shameless disinformation.
Thirdly, Mr. Sallah should have articulated in a clear and simple language understood by even a Grade Nine student the democratic and progressive values of NADD in contrast to the pretensions of the UDP/NRP coalition. He should point out namely that the UDP/NRP coalition:
1.does not recognize NADD as a legitimate political party, and an equal partner in the negotiations;
2.does not recognize any leader of NADD as capable of being the President and/or Vice-president of the country;
3.does not want a transition period of five years should an alliance win this year’s presidential election;
4.does not believe in a two term limit for future Gambian presidents after the end of the proposed transition despite the fact that most of the world have embraced that idea or are moving in that direction;
5.does not believe in power sharing with NADD, not even when they are desperate to form an alliance with;
6.does not believe in checks and balances both in an opposition alliance and in government.
Furthermore, Mr. Sallah should have recalled the people’s memories to Mr. Bah’s attacks on the former Secretary of State for Interior, Mr. Momodou Bojang, in the National Assembly in 1998, who awarded a no bid contract to TK Motors as corruption because the action violated the general orders of The Gambia government. This tour of memory lane is important because according to press reports, Mr. Bah contradicted himself in Nashville, Tennessee, when he announced that he had already signed a secret contract with a non-disclosed British Power company to provide electricity supply to The Gambia. With this reminder, Mr. Sallah would have shown to the people that there would be little difference, if any, between the APRC and the UDP/NRP coalition when it comes to open government. Most importantly, it would also have shown to the people the irreconcilable differences that led to the breakaway of the UDP/NRP coalition from the alliance.
Mr. Sallah should have also launched his “Campaign 2006” from that podium by attacking the Jammeh’s regime for its policies and provide alternative solutions that the people will embrace. He should have from there embarked on a nation-wide campaign tour. Instead, he has put himself and the alliance on the defensive: an apparent position of weakness for future negotiations. This is domestic politics and it requires all the fibers and strength of militancy on fundamental differences between political parties as regards which direction the country should take.
Halifa Sallah has failed to take a clear posture on the issue because of his consideration for a possible alliance of the two entities. It must to be concluded that the upcoming 1996 presidential election is a four-horse race because the democratic values of NADD will never be compromised. Undoubtedly, the sooner this is appreciated, the greater the assurances of victory. NADD must move on in order to embrace its secured and noble place in our history. Neither President Jammeh nor Mr. Ousainou Darboe can defeat Mr. Halifa Sallah. Only Mr. Sallah can defeat Mr. Sallah. In my humble view, it is still not too late for him to go on the offensive after his integrity was attacked and honesty questioned by Mr. Hamat Bah et al in the pursuit of their selfish goals. After all it was Mr. Sallah who helped us understand that “… clarity will help us not to grope in the dark.”
Source:Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 60/2006, 2-3 August, 2006
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