Should CORDEG and/or other groups succeed – Yahya will probably go and we may have something better than of Yahya.  Should they fail – the status quo in the diaspora remain.  The problems at these organizations are neither to be celebrated nor national problems to mourn. Hope we can collectively and/or individually strive to make them work for what they exist for – that could be a winner for all!

If you’re a member of these organizations in question and/or sympathizer I can understand your frustration. If you’re in perceived competition with organizations in question I can understand your sense of comfort they’re troubles. The fact remains ‘A National Face’ of the struggle is yet born. 

That’s what we are waiting for. That’s what we’re advocating for. That’s what we should strive for. Ideally this should organically grow with home-based dominance and supported in the diaspora. Cobbling of friends together and wanting to dictate the agenda from millions of miles away is not going to work. A National Face should be a cross section of Gambian voices on a democratic agenda and not partisan/group interest. That’s what will carry us to the dreamland!

Unfortunately we’ve so far not established a national problem to rally the nation. The common/easy/default fall back  – ‘Yahya Is The Problem’. This is a problem and not THE PROBLEM.  Even if it is the problem it will not be solve under the direct and sole directive those living outside The Gambia. No amount of activism outside of Gambia will dethrone tyranny in Banjul. A diaspora effort has to have a home-based host to compliment. Equally politics as usual (vote for me and I carry you to the promised land) at home will not help any individual or political party to the presidency. Something has to give! 

We seem to be obsessed with removing Yahya and there is nothing wrong with that (or at least I have no problem with it) except we’re not in no political position to effect that right away. We need lots of political leverage to make that happen at some stage down the road on our terms. Building such political leverage is a process both in organizational development and mobilizing the appropriate resources. That process start with making a case for ‘Our Cause’. That Cause in our case is ‘The Problem’ of what were supposed to be but never became (A Democratic Republic). Whatever follows such as unlawful arrests, detentions, lootings, killings/disappearances, etc. are the symptoms/effects of ‘No Democracy”. A concise definition and analysis of the problem will give us clarity of Vision, Mission and Goals/Objectives. 

That products will inform us what works are needed. Knowing the task at hand will be the bases of electing/selecting those we think are equip to shoulder these responsibilities. That body becomes ‘The National Face’. Many other groups can co-exist to compliment/supplement and/or even pursue their own interests while our cause is not compromised. Each action/counter-action will amount to an add on pressure that will bear on Banjul.
 
My fellow citizens our fight is not an inter group competition! Neither is it a Ping-Pong game of different diaspora interests! Nor is it about competing political parties back home. Our fight is simply reclamation of our founding creed – A Democratic Republic of The Gambia and I mean a functioning democracy. Give it your own definition and whatever is missing is what we would need to fight for. I bet one of the missing will not be one group or another and/or one candidate or another or home-based vs diaspora.

The righteous war, the legitimate cause is a fight to organize, mobilize and create vigilant citizens to reclaim that founding creed - ‘A Functional Institutional Democratic’ in which we can all freely pursue our dreams.
 
Burama
Founder/General Secretary
The people's Movement For Democratic Gambia
810 844 6040
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