Letter To The Opposition Parties On A New Proposal For A Coalition The Gambia is going through a very decisive period in its history. This is a period which requires all those who claim to be genuine leaders of the people to be bound by the dictate of conscience and the national interest. Few people would deny that democracy is inconceivable without an informed people who can make enlightened choices. Awareness is the greatest weapon against intimidation and inducement. Awareness is the foundation of genuine democracy. It is precisely such awareness which is inadequate in the country. The careful examination of the situation reveals that the transition from the abolition of the first republic and the restoration of the second republic was not accompanied by a serious effort to enlighten and empower the people. Nothing had been done to conduct civic education or improve the constitutional and legal instruments to enlarge the liberties of the people. Political inclusion was retarded for years and political exclusion conserved through provisions which ostracise the citizenry by age and other unjustifiable and unreasonable restrictions. Political parties do not have access to the national media to promote divergent views. This does not avail to the electorate equal opportunities to know the programmes of political parties in order to make informed choices. The government intends to roll back the mandate and longevity of the Independent Electoral Commission. All indications exist that genuine democracy is a hostage and the regime has not shown any sign that it is either willing or capable of giving it wings to broaden its scope. Gambia is therefore in need of a transition programme, just like the two year transition programme to restore a republican constitution and the sovereignty of the people through the holding of elections to chose leaders to build genuine democracy. We still maintain that the transition programme should be less than the two year transition programme. A one year term by a coalition presidential candidate should be sufficient to open the national media for civic education to enlighten the people in the country so that they will no longer be susceptible to any form of intimidation or patronage, eradicate all provisions which impose unreasonable and unjustifiable restrictions on any one from exercising his or her political and civic rights, open up the national media to every political party on a weekly basis to put their programmes to the people without insults or promotion of any sectionalist form of politics. This would create a new political culture. The reorientation of security forces, the establishment of a complaints commission to settle grievances and the concerted utilisation of the powers of the courts to provide redress would provide a cornerstone for a genuine democratic society. Standards would have been set for the emergence of a new political order. New presidential and National Assembly elections could be held for any party to seek the mandate of the people on the basis of its own merit. A one year transition programme which will not allow any personality or party to entrench itself and which will be designed to build the democratic instruments, institutions, structures and practices that would make free and fair elections possible, so as to come up with the undiluted choice of the people, should provide the basis for a coalition. We need a coalition to empower the people not one to share power by political elites. This is what sincerity and honesty call for. In that light ,we wish to propose that the opposition parties draw up a list of personalities especially women who are known to have the interest of the nation at heart and who have no known party affiliation so that one of them could be selected as an interim presidential candidate for a coalition. This will create a level political foundation for presidential elections after serving a year’s mandate. Such an interim candidate can simply undertake not to stand in any presidential election after the expiry of one year mandate. We hope that all parties shall react to this proposal by 20th August 2001. We shall send an envoy to consult with each of you to ensure a timely consideration of the recommendations. While anticipating your favourable response, I remain. Your compatriot in the service of the nation. For the Central Committee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------