It is simply Sir Dawda's prerogative whether to accept or decline President
Jammeh's so-called offer of amnesty to return home from exile in Britain.
Should he decide to return to the Gambia as widely expected, whatever he
opts to do within the confines of the law would also be within his rights.
If he opts to endorse the military-cum-civilian dictatorship which deposed
him, the people are a witness and history shall judge him. Alternatively,
Sir Dawda could opt to retire from active participation in politics but
certainly under the political status-quo in the Gambia, it would be totally
unacceptable to the intolerant and vicious APRC regime for Sir Dawda to
attempt to bolster the UDP-led alliance. Sir Dawda's return to the Gambia,
the restoration of his assets and and grant to him of a priviledged life
befitting a retired head of State would have been made conditional by
President Jammeh upon Sir Dawda's agreement to withdraw public contact with
or endorsement of the UDP-led opposition alliance. When Sir Dawda returns
home as expected, he must have already agreed to this inevitable condition
of his return.
But then, Gambians will be interested to see whether Sir Dawda will just
distance himself from the UDP as required of him by the APRC regime and stay
aloof from politics by retiring or whether he will board the APRC bandwagon
as did both some of his former political supporters and arch-political
opponents. I mean the Buba Baldehs, Nafa Sahos, FJCs as well as the SM
Dibbas and co. Any person who knows the real Sir Dawda should not be
surprised if Sir Dawda decides to hail the current dictatorship that threw
him out of power into exile as saviours of the Gambia. After all, Wasn't Sir
Dawda the very man who changed his religion between Christianity and Islam
to suit his convenience and political aspirations? Most politicians don't
have life-long principles, they thrive on outright opportunism and Sir Dawda
is one of them.
On the the other hand, Sir Dawda could decide to completely retire from
politics by surrendering his civic duties but this option would be
incompatible with his status as an elder Statesman. It would for instance
mean that he has made himself oblivious to all maladministrative acts and
human right abuses that will continue to define the APRC regime. Under this
scenario, Sir would be acting DEAF, BLIND and DUMB in every sense of the
meanings of these words while in actuality, he is not. In my view, this
would tantamount to an abdication of his responsibilities to the Gambia as
an elder Statesman.
Upon his return, Will Sir Dawda fall into the trap of trying to salvage his
record in govrnment by pleading to have been misled by those around him and
attributing the mistakes in his thirty-year rule on everybody else in the
former PPP but himself. Doing so will be a disaster for his final image!
What then should Sir Dawda do in his role as an elder-Statesman upon his
return to the Gambia? It is ultimately for him to decide but he is best
advised of the following:
**********************************************
Campaign for the amnesty of return to the Gambia to be extended to other
officials of his regime in exile with the guarantee that their fundamerntal
rights would also be guaranteed by the regime.
********************************************
Stay above partisan politics but criticise and commend the regime, when
necessary.
*****************************************88
He must never allow himself to be used as President Jammeh's blind
praise-singer.
The story is that of the crafty old fox and the ruthless and hungry young
hyena and let us follow to see where it ends.
The yoke of oppression must be shattered!
BMK
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