Enlighten Electorate………OK. Maybe I have become obsessed with the theme, entrenched democracy---rule of law, but what is really behind this phenomena. I am one those naive people who believed that political stability enjoyed in the Western world is brought about by an entrenched system of something, and some sort of a rule of law that the majority population seemed to accept as reasonably fair and workable. And if you allow me to make another extension, or create a cause and effect, that an enlighten electorate is a fundamental ingredient for the creation of this something, which bring about political stability…. ooh, that was tough.

PDOIS, one of the most respected political parties espoused on this axiom, as one of their political pillars, that an enlighten electorate would eventually bring about the ideal political system. This is one of PDOIS’s crusades, and in fact it is one of the things that kept them going. As I ponder to this reasonable and logical axiom, it can definitely bring about a workable democracy, but is it necessary, or is it not even utopian?

On a personal experience, I have lived in the US most of my adult life, and I found American to be one of the most un-enlighten voters on the face of the earth. Like the folks back home, race, region, income level and even religious beliefs, and a powerful media shape their political leanings or sensitivities. OK, please help me out, Americans are not enlighten voters, but they still have a reasonable something, they call democracy and it has led to the development of their civilization. Hmn, I would love to have Halifa (PDOIS) get his hands dirty on this one, or maybe Haruna…TEGGINPDOIS, or are you still in the logistics business? (laugh)

Enlighten electorate! it would be nice to have, but maybe a committed leadership, that is committed to hatch out a system base on the principles of rule of law and the majority of the people finds to be genuine can be the beginning to bring about political stability in our neighborhood. As for the electorate, well allow them to use their inherent UN –enlighten leanings to choose their own representative, at the end of the day what matters is, let the people decide!

Musa Jeng

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