Modou You sound like Bursma.........Surely not taken away any credit. Burama On Sunday, July 6, 2014, Modou Nyang <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > *Gambian Diaspora: A Return to the Drawing Board or a Plunge into the > Abyss * > Modou Nyang > We may be far from the end to the accusations and counter accusations of > what led to the split within CORDEG. What is not yet heard from the feuding > parties is the underlying reasons or motives that informed their decision > to call it quits. The brouhaha is sickening, no doubt, and it sure carry’s > the venom capable of killing this body that has the promise to serve as the > rallying point for Diaspora Gambia democracy forces. However, there are > more important questions to be asked and issues to be straightened if the > survival and relevance of the Diaspora pro-democracy group is to be > ensured. > That GDAG, a leading proponent among the trio of the pro-democracy groups > that ushered in the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in the > Gambia (CORDEG) into the consciousness of Diaspora Gambian politics, could > walk away from what they helped to build and still could not clearly > articulate its reasons for doing so, is rather intriguing. > But for a moment let us forget about the freeness or the lack of it in the > election of CORDEG’s executive. I wish the process was not based on > competitive elections rather, on a consultative nature focused on the > geographic representation of the politically active Diaspora Gambians. This > would have given it a true civil society representative nature that could > legitimately talk and act on behalf of the Diaspora Gambian people. The > other things like the opening of a bank account, registration of the > organization and the internal politicking or frictions among the players > could have been easily handled by the mature minds among the grouping. > However, what is of significance and this is where the fundamental issues > that underpin the relevance and or effectiveness of CORDEG, is its outlined > mode of operation in the quest for political change and democracy in the > Gambia. To this end CORDEG’s outline of strategy and tactic is as blurred > as Lamin J. Darboe put it and at worst unrealistic. And this is what needs > to be addressed if Diaspora Gambians are to become useful and effective > players in the Gambia’s political evolution to a democracy. > Detestable as the reference to the term “restoration” in the name of > CORDEG is, - for there existed no democracy in the Gambia that needs > restoring in the first place, nonetheless, what is worth fighting for are > the crunchy nuts that are to help in the erection of a viable foundation > for CORDEG laid on clear terms and purpose; A durable foundation that is to > play a vital role in the bridge building process of a grand coalition of > the democratic forces both within the Gambia and its Diaspora. > When the clamor for a pro-democracy conference in Dakar, Senegal subsided, > Raleigh, North Carolina several months later, turned out to be the rallying > point for the politically active Diaspora Gambians. Speeches were delivered > and passionate debates ensued. At the end a communiqué was issued calling > for a steering committee and promising to craft a policy that would help > coordinate a unity of purpose among Gambia’s pro-democracy forces. To their > credit a steering committee came into being leading to the election of an > executive committee a few months later and the birth of CORDEG. > But to the keen political observer the flaws and contradictions in the > setup to the establishment of CORDEG’s executive were clear and imminent. > Alarm bells were ringed and people contacted to highlight the problems but > business continued as usual. Those that made their concerns public were > dismissed or at best ignored. > Fundamental to the flaws and contradictions within the setup that gave > birth to CORDEG were its insistence on co-opting the opposition parties > into its fold and followed by the erection of a gigantic superstructure > that aimed to encompass even the main players when it comes to effecting > political change in the Gambia. Consciously or unconsciously, the > architects of CORDEG pursued this formula that is only expected of > political novices. It was certain that the project was headed for failure > unless its course was redirected. And to cap it all, a vision and mission > of CORDEG was propounded clearly mimicking a government or opposition party > white paper with clear emphasis of governance, economic and even > agricultural policies. > For starters, CORDEG can only be a civil society organization unless and > until it chooses to follow the process and register as a political party in > the Gambia. As a civil society organization CORDEG’s mandate could not be > more than articulating and championing the aspirations of Diaspora > Gambians. It cannot and should never venture into the business of > formulating financial or agricultural policies for the Gambia not so when > it is even absent on the ground. > The Raleigh Accord that spelled out the objectives of CORDEG despite being > ambiguous itself, chose to side with the political players on the ground in > the pursuit of reforms vital to the predictability of political change and > the nurturing of democracy. This is what is reasonable and attainable > between citizen groups and political parties who plan to work together for > the betterment of their country. But as it appeared there were other > motives in play, all sorts of posturing and positioning became the order of > the day albeit being hundreds of miles away from the battleground. > However, and introspectively, it is still not too late to chart a new > course and refocus CORDEG. It may be a harder task trying to walk the > opposition parties into an alliance, but it is easier championing the > desire of Diaspora Gambians for enfranchisement. Furthermore, a partnership > with the opposition and other interest groups both national and > international on a pro-democracy agenda captured on the urgent need for > electoral reform, will not only ease the internal squabbles and render > desolate the intense positioning, but will earn CORDEG the respect and > trust of its partners as well as influence and leverage among both ruling > and opposition parties. > An agenda for the enfranchisement of Diaspora Gambians will not trigger > any lobbying for positions of secretary generals or chairmanships rather; > it will engender tremendous interest and impact among the growing Gambian > populations outside of the Gambia for the cause of democratization and > development. Demands for the respect of the civil liberties and freedom of > the citizenry would only add to its political clout and respectability. > For the politics of alliance building among political parties, it is > better leaving that in the hands of the parties themselves. Politics is not > as simple a formula as the common sense one-plus-one. The most that civil > society groups like CORDEG can ask as bonafide partners is to insist on a > seat at the negotiating table to act as an arbiter and or mediator to > resolve misunderstandings and bridge differences. Attaining that status or > position becomes easier when especially a body like CORDEG becomes the > initiator of such mediations. The choice is out in the open and waiting to > be made. Cut to size the overzealous ambitions and focus attention to clear > and reasonable goals that are within our bounds. > > > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask] > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[log in to unmask]);> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤