Courtesy: Mafanta. Jerry said better what I was trying to say on this matter. Haruna.
RE: GMC Dissociates itself from G6 letter to the Authorities
It was with a heavy heart and big disappointment that I read the above article on the
online papers. Not because I don’t think that the GMC is entitled to make such a
decision, rather I am baffled at the manner in which it is done. Time and again, we see
the struggle for democratization in the Gambia being thwarted by people who are
supposed to contribute positively to the process. We have seen Amat Bah beating his
chest and claiming that his party has the capability of winning 8 seats in the last NA
elections and they will take part only to be taught a very terse lesson. In fact some of his
supporters are still languishing in courts.
Amat did that when all opposition parties were calling for a boycott. Earlier in the build-up the Presidential elections, Mai
himself publicly declared the UDP as his choice even before negotiations between the opposition started thus causing a
division that later proved detrimental to all. During the campaign, he surprisingly appeared in the Gambia convinced that
he is going to be the next Vice President of the Republic only for him to learn that he was dreaming. When he was
confronted with the daily realities of so many people in the Gambia, he quickly ran to secure his own life leaving the
champions of democracy on the ground.
Why would the GMC publicly dissociate itself from a G6 statement at this crucial time? What is the motive behind this
publicity or shall say PR blunder? He and his party may disagree with the G6 on the way forward on the issue at hand,
but why put it out for public consumption when unity and cooperation is what is needed?
The answers to these questions can only be two. First, Mai like many other Gambians is trying to perpetuate himself as
a “super hero”. In his eyes, the G6 chose to appease the authorities which he believes is cowardly. Therefore he
needed to show the whole world and particularly Gambians that these party leaders are cowards and that he is the one
capable and willing to adopt a radical way forward thus posing as a “super hero” who has come rescue Gambians. He is,
maybe, subconsciously unaware that national interest is heavily suffering due to his actions.
Secondly, what this GMC statement has caused is the belief, right or wrong, that there are fractions within the opposition
parties. It also gives the impression that the house of the opposition is not in order. In other words, his aim was to belittle
his opposition partners while trying to elevate himself as the great son of the land. He wanted to show his coalition
partners that he has connections outside the country which they (opposition partners) do not have. A sensible politician
would have instead said: in as much as I would like to agree with you on this issue, I can’t. However, I will let you do what
you intend to do while me and my party look at other options. He needed not to publish any statement on that as he did.
That way, both sides would have complemented each other’s efforts thus creating a win-win situation.
I personally believe that the Karl Schmidt rule that “every political opponent is a potential enemy” does not hold in the
democratization process of the Gambia. Rather, the Liberal notion of national and transnational cooperation should our
way forward. To ignite this national and cross-border cooperation, we need to pursue and adopt the Constructivist idea
of a dynamic society where grassroots ideas are absorbed and improved by the elites. Mai and the others should be
wary of the fact that they are indeed obstacles to the democratization process through their actions. They should be
made aware that their “zero-sum” games are having adverse implications for our beloved country and for future
generations. As far as I am concerned a win-win situation will arise once we learn to cooperate with each other.
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