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Momodou
Denmark
11702 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Sep 2010 : 14:26:12
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DailyNews Editorial: The Gambia Should Have a
The need for presidential term limit cannot be overemphasized in any democratic state. We should be focusing on upgrading our democratic chronicle in a bid to ensure a right based society. Having presidential term limit in place would allow new ideas as presidents come and go to prevent the nurturing of personality cult and personalization of power. The practice will no doubt provide opportunity for the development of the country’s democratic institutions. For instance, in Ghana, former president Jerry Rawlings handed over power to his successor John Kufor who also relinquished power to the oppositional candidate who happened to be the incumbent president Professor John Atamiles.
However, Rawlings and Kufor are from different political parties while Jerry Rawlings and Atamiles are from the same political party. Ghana is one of Africa’s fastest growing democracies thus regarded as a bastion of democracy in the continent. This has boosted Ghana’s democratic record; this is the beauty of democracy. The practice will also put an end to the ugly head of military takeover in The Gambia known as the smiling coast of Africa.
One of the dangers of having one person clinging onto power is the tendency of relaxed attitudes.
If a president cannot build a foundation for his vision in 10 years, he cannot build it even if he is given 50 years. From 1978 to 1994, former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara could not solve the already shattered electricity problem in the country, and even if he was given 50 years he will not be able to solve it, because the developmental and governance idea necessary for a positive transformation were absent, so the same rigid idea is employed to solve the long time problem which becomes an impossibility.
The Gambia as a country needs a change for the better. When the government of The Gambia does something, no single person should be named for doing it. This is something that should be well experimented in the national constitution. First and foremost, we can as a nation think way where if the National Assembly Members fails to impeach the president for misconduct and host of things, the electorates can be involved by taking appropriate measures to either recall him or he faces the people’s tribunal? The president is given the constitutional mandate to address the National Assembly and also go on a "dialogue with the people tour" once a year.
It would also be good to have a constitutional requirement that makes it mandatory for the president to face the press by convening a press conference, where many pertinent questions could be asked. It is necessary for the president to be convening press conferences with all the media; both public and private on fundamental national issues.
Source: DailyNews
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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