>From: Musa Jeng <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Day After >Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 21:34:39 -0400 > >It is obvious that the Spin-Doctors are definitely at work, and the >Bantaba is getting its real taste of the election fever. Predictions and >counter predictions of landslide victories have become a common theme on >the –L, and frankly I am not sure how this tactic really helps in the >garner of votes. The target group for this tactic is been directed to GL >zealots like myself who obviously will not be directly voting in this >election, and have definitely made up our minds. At this critical time, >speaking for myself is much more interested in real factual news on the >ground, without lot of unsubstantiated spinning. But yet still is >all-good, and GL is again playing a profound role by making us to be >part of the electoral process. > >The day of reckoning is Friday morning, the Gambia would have elected a >new leader, and like most people on the Gl, I am hoping for a new >leadership and a new party at the helm. The Gambian voter electing a new >leader will help the democratic process in our country, and give us >another chance to carve a new direction to Gambia, our homeland. From >the newspapers and the fierce debate and spinning on the G>LG-L, the >final days of the campaign have become up-tempo. Party leaders and their >supporters are digging their heels, tempers are becoming short fuse, >issues are been replaced with insults and threats, and winning at all >cost has become the ultimate goal. For some of the political parties and >their stakeholders, this is one election that they have no intention of >loosing and signs of desperation are beginning to show. In the Gambia, >like most places in Africa, people invest everything in supporting a >candidate and a political party, and loosing can bring an end to living, >as we know it. It is rather interesting and sad that the most ideal, and >the only system for that matter that guarantees stability and peace in >determining governance and direction can also bring about chaos and >disunity among citizens of a nation. > >As an observer to politics in the Gambia, a change of government will >bring about not only a change of leadership, economic policies and >direction, but a significant change to the landscape of the the social >order. By loosing the Presidential Election, party leaderships and their >supporters are not only confronted with a disappointment of loosing an >election, but with other realities close to home: the beginning of being >an outsider, an outcast deprive of every right of being a citizen and >the lost will have an impact on both private and public lives to those >individuals. If you are a professional, you will be definitely out of >any meaningful employment and as a private businessperson; you are >looking for the obvious path to bankruptcy or heavy-handedness from the >government. As a businessman recently indicated to me, there is no way >you can ever determine the support of most of the business elite, and in >fact most are supporting all the candidates financially. It is call >hedging your bets. Supporting a candidate, who ends up loosing the >election, brings a price tag that is unimaginable. It is no accident >that tempers are flying in a serious high voltage, insults are replacing >issues and thuggery has taken over the final phase of the political >campaign. And even after the election is all over, and a leader is >elected, most of the tactics during the political campaign only >transforms to another phase. Partisanship become the order of the day, >us –against- them becomes an issue in governance and party militants and >elite supporters get the compensation for a job well done. Would it ever >be possible in the Gambia, that an elected leader becomes a President >for its entire citizen, irrespective of political support? Is it ever >being possible for an elected leader to reach out to his or her opponent >for a sincere and meaningful dialogue to build a Government of national >unity? Simple as some of these questions are, it is one of the most >challenging phenomena to thriving democracies, the Gambia included. > > >Come this Friday, after all the spinning, a candidate will become the >leader. Bottom line, most people are going to be disappointed, and may >not be able to fathom how to move on with meaningful life with the lost. >From the above points I tried to articulate with the nature of our >political process, effective governance will become impossible. For >Gambia to come alive after the election and address the bread and butter >issues important to most of the Gambian people in the rural areas, we >will have to put the election behind and pursue a new phenomenon that is >both development and government friendly. Elections are only relevant if >they can help us peacefully elect a leader who will carve a direction >for the Gambia with its entire people. The next government should >immediately halt the divisive politics, end the election period and >begin the period of governance. A sincere reaching out to opposition >members from the opposition to make them part of the new government will >help end the election phase and introduce a new government of all it’s >people. The new leader should set the tone for a new government of all >political parties, and reach out to supporters and non-supporters and >reassure them that we are going to need all Gambians to build a future >for our country. After the election has been decided, the election >rhetoric and the fighting mood have to be left behind, and a new spirit >of togetherness in order to tackle the mundane of governing. > >Like all people of this world, the farmer in Sandu, the zero-income >earner in Palen and the petty trader in kiaf would like to see real >improvement in their lives. They would like to have good shelter, an >effective system to sell their yearly harvest, clean drinking water, >food for their families and a reasonable access to medical care. It is >not only a God given right for Americans, Germans, Japanese and the >French to expect real work form their leadership and Governments. Most >of us came to this part of the world to enjoy those rights and >expectation that have become a God given right to the host countries. >Everything I enjoy in the US, from shelter, employment, reasonable >medical care, I would like to see my Sister in Dandimayo to have similar >facilities and expectation. For that to happen, who ever the winner is >come Friday, he is going to be the leader of one of the most backward >country on the face of the earth, and it is going to take more that a >miracle to bring about the aforementioned conditions. It is going to >need a new thinking, a bold creative way of doing business and a total >support by all Gambians to address the plight of our nation. The Gambia >yearns for a different leader with a different way of doing things. A >bold leadership can be an effective starting point. > >The creation of an atmosphere of revenge, vindictiveness, settling >scores and government of the few would only deepen our backwardness. >Whoever become the new Moses, reaching out to your opponent and seeks >their support and brings about a Government of National unity will be >the constructive and smart thing to do. Lets us do the impossible, and >create a country that can be emulated in the sub-region. The new leader >will have to send a sincere message to non-supporters that they are part >of this government and that the leadership is only committed to >governance and the bringing about of the much needed development change >in the country. Yes, a government of national unity will not bring an >end to our political differences, but at least a new and effective >political climate can be introduced for posterity. Gentlemen, for Gambia >to survive this wicked situation, there is a need for a real Moses to >come up with bold and creative solutions to set us apart from the norm. > > >Musa Jeng > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>