Brother Sidibeh:
Halifa as opposition NAM could afford to be sentimental with the impeachment notion.
Dibba does not have that luxury. As a nominated member of the National Assembly, he serves at the absolute pleasure of Jammeh. Ramzia Diab is precedent for that contention. Dibba presided over that disgrace!
A cursory look at the relevant consitutional section demonstrates beyond doubt that any impeachment attempt would be still born in the sense that Jammeh has the constitutional mandate to invalidate the tenure of any, and all, sitting APRC members of the National Assembly, elected or nominated. The only precondition is expulsion from APRC.
I accept your contention that initiating impeachment proceedings is not illegal. However, on purely partisan considerations, it is generally viewed as extremely disloyal. The United States gave humanity its most celebrated precedents at attempts to invalidate the public mandate through the impeachment procedure: Andrew Johnson (1868) (survived); Richard Nixon (1974) (resigned); and William Jefferson Clinton (1998) (survived).
Even whereas none of the above precedents were initiated by the affected President's party, but to be a member of that party, and to vote for the Articles of Impeachment (House of Representatives), or for actual removal (Senate), would almost certainly guarantee some sentence in the political wilderness unless the procedure succeeded. Stated differently, a President you voted against, and who ultimately prevailed, would never consider you for an invitation to the Cabinet, or for an ambassadorship. The merits of the system leaves intact our essential nature as humans
In the Gambian system, an APRC NAM who even made a passing reference to impeaching Jammeh would be viewed as having declared war on the state itself. Our constitution calls that treason, but to Jammeh that is the equivalent of a violent attempt on his life, with tanks, AK47s, and whatever else is in the armoury.
As Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Dibba is too close to the center of power not to be acutely sensitive to the character of the system he freely chose to associate with. If this were a criminal trial on which I sat as juror - assuming of course that the issue is Mr Dibba's change of heart - your argument is charming enough to secure my vote for acquittal.
If there is any grain of truth in the impeachment rumour, what probably transpired was that in a moment of hallucinatory bravado, Dibba uttered an unguarded statement about impeaching Jammeh before the country is flushed down the toilet. Or may be some sycophant fabricated that statement, had it corroborated by another of similar ilk, and then ascribed it to Mr Dibba.
That our 1997 Constitution is schizophrenic on the question of impeachment would not matter to Jammeh one bit. Clearly the procedure is available, but Jammeh has the legal power to always prevent its activation. Any resulting constitutional crisis would be resolved in Jammeh's favour as the party with the balance of terror.
Mr Dibba did not suddenly discover his political conscience. The most charitable gloss on his saga may be that some member of the Gambia's burgeoning sycophantic army fabricated an anti-Jammeh statement in Dibba's esteemed name.
In the climate of the times, would it matter that it was a fabrication?
LJDarbo
Momodou S Sidibeh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Sister Jabou Joh,
Your Message To The Gambian People is timely and a powerful piece of
agitational writing. Besides, your analysis, as L J Darbo put it, is astute.
Having said that, I think that Brother Lang Tunkara has a very valid point
on this question of impeachment.
That Sheriff M Dibba should instigate it carries with it all the trappings
of political doublespeak. But let us for a moment forget about the
politician behind the initiative, and study the implications of what he is
purported to have been orchestrating. Even with a hopeless parliamentary
situation, it is not at all ridiculous. I think it is in fact, genial!
Just three months ago, Hon. Halifa Sallah, then NADD coordinator, threatened
to initiate impeachment proceedings against our dictator extraordinaire,
should he fail to retract statements he made claiming the Opposition's
complicity in clandestinely fuelling violent confrontation between Gambia
and Senegal. Hon. Sallah not only threatened impeachment. He even gave Mr.
Jammeh an ultimatum. Shortly after this, Mr. Jammeh sent his village goons
to arrest Hon. Sallah, Omar Jallow (OJ), and Hamat Bah. Of course, then as
now, the balance of power in the National Assembly remains the same.
We must ask then, why did our honourable Halifa threaten to use this
instrument, given that a constitutional coup d'etat could hardly be
procured?
Firstly, it was of utmost weight for Sallah and the NADD leadership to
defend their integrity; to show the entire country, and indeed the whole
world that the president's allegations were nothing more than irresponsible
fabrications; a fact that would have been established irrespective of the
outcome of the impeachment procedure.
Secondly, I believe that Hon. Sallah and the NADD leaders were acutely aware
that Mr. Jammeh needs to be CHALLENGED at all levels; that despite his
policy of intimidation, there are Gambians who will stand up to him;
Gambians who will not be cowed by his threats; Gambians who will speak truth
to power.
In our current circumstances, it is important that Gambians continue to
challenge Jammeh. In this heavy climate of fear, it is vital that now and
again a public figure - nevermind how dubious the character - publicly
overcomes this fear and stands up against tyranny. That is what S M Dibba
has done. And besides, (paraphrasing Dr. Ebrima Sall when we discussed Imam
Fatty and Mr. Jammeh) having done regrettable things in the past should not
preclude one from making better ones in the future. We need not embrace Mr.
Dibba. But I think we need to give him credit for summoning courage at this
hour. If indeed it all is true.
Cheers,
momodou s sidibeh
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