Halifa,
    Your reply to Rene was very educative and interesting to say the least.
It is interesting to see the lengths you went to reveal the essence of
Republicanism as opposed to Monarchicalism. Your points were taken.
    I do have a problem with the modesty you show towards the monarchical
dispositions of the 1997 constitution whilst interestingly enough you are
verbose and triumphalist of it's strong points. Your minimalist approach when
it comes to exposing the downsides of the 1997 constitution is beginning to
worry me and making me ask where your sense of objectivity and fair play is.
    In your posting, you stated categorically that "further more, the concept
of a president for life is a monarchical principle. Such a concept should
also be alien to a Republican constitution. One may also add that having a
president who has absolute power to appoint and dismiss cabinet members
without giving any explanation is also a monarchical principle. It gives the
executive unchecked authority in determining how departments of state are to
be managed and transformed all members of cabinet into servants of a
president who can be removed for disloyalty and not necessarily for
inefficiency and corrupt practices. Such cabinet members, therefore, become
servants of the controller of executive power instead of owing loyalty to the
people." Interesting stuff isn't? What surprises me though why you never
bothered telling members that you might have been making an indirect critique
of your beloved 1997 constitution. All that you have mentioned above are
defects inherent in the 1997 constitution. Today Jammeh is not stripped of
this "absolute power to appoint and dismiss cabinet members without giving
any explanation" by the 1997 constitution. You never bothered mentioning this
to members.
    Again your beloved 1997 constitution never stripped "the executive
unchecked authority in determining how departments of state are to be managed
and transform all members of cabinet into servants of a president who can be
removed for disloyalty and not necessarily for inefficiency and corrupt
practices." It goes without saying that there is no independent voice in
Jammeh's cabinet. Anyone who cares to note knows that Jammeh's cabinet is ram
jammed with poodles and functionaries whose first loyalty is to their master,
Jammeh. It is worth mentioning this also to members.
    Most importantly, since the 1997 constitution doesn't have in place
effective mechanisms that in your own words doesn't abolish "the concept of a
president for life." Since the term limit on the presidency was deliberately
expunged by Jammeh himself, it is safe to conclude that he has set himself up
"life president" which you did acknowledge as a "monarchical principle." You
didn't bother telling this to members. Perhaps most seriously, you never
bothered to inform The People of all of these defects when you were busy
selling the 1997 constitution to The People. Where is your objectivity? Where
was your sense of fair play?
    I'm beginning to doubt your objectivity and sense of fairness when it
comes to the 1997 constitution. The defects I have highlighted above are just
the tip of the iceberg.
    Again I look forward to your usual wiseacres.
Hamjatta Kanteh

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