Mose, there could not be a more important question than this, democracry
presuposes clarity but it does not follow that this is always the case. In a
democratic situation people are faced with a choice and are therefore
expected to be informed to make a decision on that bases. But in Africa
where education is very low and the leadership thrives on mysticsm it very
obvious that this is exploited for self perpetuation, unlike America a
bi-party country the class intrest had already been sorted instead of
fighting they just change positions from time to time. This why the American
electorate is not as politicaly aware as they should be, take Bush for
instance, before he came to office he hardly knew the name of any world
leader, this epitomises the low level of politicisation. Having said this
one would concede that the American electorate is not as rusric as the
African electorate. The African electorate is generally in a none
negotiating position whiles the American electorate can be lured through low
taxation or other peripheral issues that may affect its intrest. It
important to highlight this distinction so as to see the need to enlighten
the African electorate, enlightenment equates to empowerment. Certain things
must be connected eg taxation and goverment revenue, limitation of executive
power, the electorate still have a mansa mentality which the leadership
perpetuates deliberately. My point therefore is education for empowerment is
not only vital but a necesasary means to change.
>From: Musa Jeng <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Enlighten Electorate
>Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 22:05:16 -0400
>
>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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