The Independent (Banjul) 

  EDITORIAL
January 20, 2006 
Posted to the web January 20, 2006 
Banjul 

   
  If the media reports are anything to go by, it is apparent that the opposition alliance that is bent on unseating President Yahya Jammeh in October 2006 polls, is already at the centre of leadership crisis. This is contrary to what the members of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) have been telling Gambians. 
   
  Over the months, NADD, which has people with different political ideologies and concepts, assured Gambians that they are poised to defend their interest to choose a candidate to what they called "flush out" the APRC regime from power. But it seems they are deviating from what they have been campaigning or else they would have not rave or rant about who leads the coalition. Their failure to unanimously choose a leader tells Gambians that NADD Executives hide something under their sleeves. 
   
  The most disturbing thing is that they remained tight-lipped, thus allowing floodgates of rumours to fill the air. And as the saying goes: "rumour is a great traveller." If the membership of NADD refuses to clear the air, they cannot stop people from making their own news, whether right or wrong. Time has definitely come for NADD Executives to throw away their personal interests and choose a leader in a transparent and democratic manner. 
   
  NADD leadership should learn lesson from emerging democratic nations where congress of political parties are transparent and democratic. In such a process, whoever emerges a leader surely deserves public support. The process is such that nobody has the guts to corrupt the selection of a party's candidate. 
   
  If NADD is seen as a government in the waiting or British people call it a shadow government, its leadership should demonstrate the highest sense of political maturity. What is crystally clear is that it would be difficult to choose a leader in a situation where every Tom, Dick and Harry is interested in living in a glasshouse. 
   
  They should not at all bend the constitution to give leeway to anybody to head NADD, which would not be in tandem with their ideals of no corruption or abuse of office. How can the electorate believe in a party that corrupts its constitution before it comes to power? 
   
  Yes, most people believe that there is nothing stable in politics. But for us to attain mature politics, we need to sanitise our political system properly. This editorial is expressing the views and aspirations of Gambians who have been desperately waiting to hear the name of their flag bearer. But now that NADD Executives set aside a date when the candidate's name will be known to the public, it is our fervent hope that nothing would distract the event because even at the time of piercing this editorial, opposition were still carrying out endless consultations or meetings. 
   
  The world is watching you, so do the right thing before it is too late. 
  
 

		
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