Opinions
RE: AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY AND JAMMEH’S DICTATORSHIP.
By Lamin Darboe - Manjai
Apr 10, 2006, 16:07

    The above-titled article was recently carried by the AllGambian.net website, admonishing Ambassador Stafford, US Ambassador to The Gambia, on his ‘position’, and by extension, the position of his government, on the recent failed coup attempt in the Gambia. 
   
  The writer must have been emotional and therefore lost his rationality in his literal castigation of Ambassador Stafford. Admittedly, the US Ambassador of the ‘greatest’ democracy in the world has a role to play in helping to cement the friendly relations between the two countries, but, on the basis of reciprocity. It is a known fact that Ambassador Stafford is a responsible diplomat and is doing a fine job in Banjul. Even the writer alluded to this fact in mentioning the Ambassador’s visit to the Point Newspaper. 
   
  The writer must be ill-informed or, totally ignorant to have almost accused the Ambassador of complicity. One of the very first duties Ambassador Stafford undertook was, to visit the Point newspaper, an independent media house. It is also believed that the private media also receive on occasions, assistance from the Embassy, either directly or indirectly. We can posit unequivocally that ambassador Stafford is owed an apology by the writer.
   
  Furthermore, mention is made, by way of comparison, of America’s democracy and the Gambian situation. It should be pointed out that democracy is not a license for impunity and irresponsibility. The understanding and applicability of democracy presupposes a bottom line level of a well informed and empowered society. A smart writer would have understood that to educate and empower a society is not an easy task; neither is it a party manifesto. Africa’s life-long struggle for emancipation is all about achieving these noble virtues for her people.
   
  Underpinning the foregoing is a complex of issues that continue to challenge Africa. It is about real and true independence, not the version our fore bearers fought for or ‘negotiated’ with the colonial powers of the time. Under current conditions it would appear that democracy is being super-imposed on Africa, using the old technique of the carrot and the stick. But, what is amazing is that Africa’s leadership has fallen for the bait. When asked to jump by our ‘partners’, who are our benefactors and almoners, we don’t ask why and when: Instead, we ask, how high.
   
  Even, the basic first steps in forging true African partnerships, remains elusive. After decades of assistance and immeasurable financial assistance, mainly from the European Union, through its Development Fund, economic integration of the various sub-regions of Africa, remain elusive. The investments made in roads infrastructure under the Regional Integrated Programme of the EU have achieved only a partial success as the platform for economic integration.
   
  At the global level, at least ninety per cent of the aid money to Africa goes back to pay for goods and services from the donor countries, in the guise of international competitive bidding (a club of the rich countries). Pay back becomes difficult as, very little value-added was created from the assistance.
   
  To cut a long story short, let us understand the challenges confronting Africa and let that be our guide in how we organize our priorities. President Jammeh is a man with a vision. He has seen the light and understands the complex of issues confronting development. By improving the livelihood of a people, they become empowered, and, by this empowerment, they become their own spokes-person. Of course, a hungry man is an angry man. But democracy doesn’t feed him. Providing him a livelihood and empowering him does. This is the true democracy.           


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