Gambia </west/gambia/index.html>
The President And The Presidency, Mark The Difference (Editorial)
The Independent <http://www.qanet.gm/Independent/independent.html> (Banjul)
May 22, 2000
Banjul - It is clear that APRC members of the National Assembly are trying to
dodge the thorny question of President Jammeh's alleged involvement in the
Nigerian crude oil deal.
Over the past several months, the ruling party deputies have been doing
everything possible to downplay the seriousness of the issue and thwart all
efforts to get to the heart of the matter and lay the truth before the eyes of
the nation.
The latest attempts at sabotaging the transparent handling of the crude oil deal
was the request by APRC deputies last week, that the debate on the issue be
postponed to give them time to study the documents. In formal terms this is
acceptable, though there is no doubt that all APRC deputies are fully aware of
what those documents contain.
It is only hoped that come June (26?) when the debate re-opens, the APRC
deputies would display their loyalty to the nation and their obligation to God
to work for the truth and nothing but the truth, and debate the issue truthfully
and objectively. The ill-advised remark by one APRC deputy that Gambian voters
are not interested in the crude oil controversy is evidently false. The same
deputy, we think, was also quoted as saying that APRC deputies feared offending
President Jammeh by doing what should be done in the circumstances. Our question
to all APRC deputies is: Do you fear President Jammeh more than you fear God? Or
even more than you fear betraying the trust of the people who elected you into
office?
We perceive that the APRC deputies' problem is that they cannot draw a line
between the incumbent president as an individual, a transient public official,
and the office of the president as an eternal institution. Presidents come and
go, but the Presidency remains. They need to de-focus their minds and attention
from Yahya Jammeh, the man, the common citizen and Yahya Jammeh the incumbent
president. Yahya Jammeh the citizen is subject, like all the rest of us, to the
dictates of the supreme law of the land, the Constitution. They should not
therefore fear offending Yahya Jammeh the man, at the expense of abusing both
the Presidency and the Constitution, which are impersonal.
According to Section 67 of the 1997 Constitution, the President may be removed
from office if '(i) he or she has conducted himself in a manner which brings or
is likely to bring the office of president into contempt or disrepute; or (ii)
he or she has dishonestly done any act which is prejudicial or inimical to the
economy of The Gambia or dishonestly omitted to act with similar consequences.'
If they assume that President Jammeh is innocent of any impropriety, why not
give the nation the benefit of the doubt by facilitating transparent
investigations into the crude oil affair? After all, is not the APRC's battlecry
Transparency and Accountability?
National Assembly members, regardless of political affiliation, are both
rightfully mandated and morally obliged to act in line with the provisions of
the constitution. They are also expected to act in line with these provisions.
If they fail to do so, they are being grossly dishonest and history shall hold
them individually responsible.
Thus, our final word of advice to them is: Draw a line between Jammeh the man
and Jammeh the President. Having done that, act honourably, or risk eternal
disgrace.
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