Another ample proof that this so-called attempted coup is nothing but
invented fabrication to be used as a tool to accomplish Jammeh's evil plots. Look
at the net they are trying to cast now.
NADD’s Flagbearer On National Assembly Motion To Condemn “21st March
Abortive Coup
The Point
Thursday 13th April 2006
With reference to the above-captioned subject, the NADD Flagbearer, Hon
Halifa Sallah, had this to say.
Compatriots, reports have been published in the Gambian press on the
position of the NADD parliamentary opposition regarding a motion introduced by
nominated member Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay, on 3rd April 2006 to call on the
National Assembly members to condemn the abortive coup of 21st March, 2006.
Compatriots, the reports in the press contain ambiguity. Clarification is
therefore necessary. The parliamentary majority drafted their own motion
without any consultation with the parliamentary minority. In presenting and
defending the motion they attributed motives and passed judgements and became
evidently partisan by claiming that the socio-economic prosperity, progress and
general welfare enjoyed under the APRC regime added up to permit no
justification for a coup.
The parliamentary minority listened attentively to the arguments forwarded
by the members of the parliamentary majority. Other than the member for Banjul
South most of the members who spoke inflamed the situation. Instead of
counselling for restraint they called for retribution.
Finally, it was the turn of the majority leader. He did not only utter
inflammatory remarks, he went further to assert, with all the emphasis at his
command, that the parliamentary opposition would be guilty of treason if they
failed to condemn the abortive coup d’etat.
It is at this point that I intervened, as minority leader, to vehemently
object to such irresponsible remarks, which constituted a gross violation of the
standing orders of parliament.
In my intervention, I indicated that it was rather unfortunate that the
motion was couched in the judgmental language that befitted a prosecutor or judge
and not a national assembly member. I questioned why national assembly
members should make inflammatory remarks when even the President decided not to
raise the issue in his address.
Contrary to the opinion of the majority leader that our refusal to join them
in their inflammatory remarks constituted the aiding and abetting of coup
makers we stood on the bedrock of sound principles in behaving as we did.
First and foremost, it is prudent that in a state of conflict one should not
allow oneself to be drawn into it; on the contrary, one should serve to be a
builder of peace rather than put fuel on fire. One should be a peacemaker
rather than a warmonger.
It is in this light that I issued the following words:
Hon. Speaker, when we are dealing with such matters, we should deal with
matters of principle and not substance. Any democrat or those who intend to be
democrats would know that people who are accused of crimes are presumed
innocent until they are proven guilty. It is not the duty of Assembly Members to be
judges but it is the duty of Assembly Members to advocate for principles.
The principles are very clear. Article 4 paragraph (9) of the Constitutive Act
of the African Union calls for the rejection of all unconstitutional changes
of government. This is due to the fact that Africa is an Africa of the
people. Africa has passed through the stage of monarchs, tyrants and despots,
ruling over the people. Africa has grown and perhaps that is why we have started
to advocate for the principle of democracy; that power must be derived from
the consent of the people and should be exercise in their interest. We must
bear in mind what that entails. We in the opposition have departed from the
position of our colleagues where they are avoiding the principle and are
promoting partisan politics, which has been reflected by the Majority Leader (Hon.
Churchill Baldeh).
It is important to bear in mind that if we start to condemn the coup on the
basis of somebody saying that he can come to Banjul and back to Nuimi and
that his children can come to school in Banjul and back to Nuimi, people
travelling to Jarra and Wuli in the South Bank can claim that it takes them days to
get home.
I don’t think that is a reason for opposing or supporting a coup d’etat. It
is not the nature of a government in a country, whether succeeding
economically or not, that determines whether there should be a coup or not. It is a
constitutional rule that power must not be derived from the barrel of the gun;
that is the principle! The principle is that it should be derived from the
consent of the people. We hope that all these experiences would be lessons that
what we need to consolidate is democracy and free the people to be totally
in charge of their destiny.
This is not a matter of party. All of us in common own the Gambia; all of us
in common must defend that constitution. We in the opposition therefore hope
that this event that has taken place would be left to the investigators, so
that they would do their work and take those people who have allegedly
committed crimes before the courts to prove their innocence or guilt. We hope that
in this process, our democratic evolution would be enhanced. A member has
indicated the MOU we have signed between political parties and just few days
ago, we did the inauguration. We hope that spirit would continue. That is the
spirit which can make Gambia to be stable today and would make Gambia stable
tomorrow. The spirit of realising that all of us must defend the fundamental
rights and freedom of our citizens, the spirit that we must defend the rule of
law, ensure that political parties and political opponents will abide by the
principle of not engaging in demagogy and character assassination but would
live up to the politics of issues so that the people would decide who would
govern them.
This is the life we wish for this country. I must say that I would like to
advise the government that what has happened should not lead to any culture of
impunity.
What exists in the constitution as rights for people who are detained must
be respected. The more we respect this, the more stable the Gambia becomes. We
hope that stability will continue because we intend to contribute to that by
respecting the laws of our country, by continuing to promote democratic
principles, by committing ourselves not to participate in governments that are
derived from coup d’etat just as we have shown in principle in the past. The
best principle! We in the opposition have shown our commitment to the
democratic principle by vowing never to participate in a government that is derived
from a coup d’etat.
The position of the flagbearer of NADD, which is the position discussed and
unanimously approved by the Executive Committee, is very clear.
As an alliance which intends to form an alternative government our role is
not to take side in conflicts but to help resolve conflicts and prove that we
can offer opportunities for both sides to co-exist in peace in a new country
led by NADD.
Secondly, we are fully committed to the principle that government must
derive its authority from the consent of the people and should exercise that
authority within the fences erected and guarded by Democratic Constitutions and
laws to promote the liberty and general welfare of a people. Hence in principle
NADD endorsed the position of the African Union as stipulated in Article 4
paragraph (p) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union that:………..
In this respect, where an abortive coup is alleged and death and destruction
of properties occur, NADD will condemn the destruction of life and property
and once a free and fair trial before a Court takes place and an alleged coup
established it will condemn the attempt to change a government through
unconstitutional means. On the other hand, where a coup is made NADD commits
itself never to participate in such a government and will strongly condemn and
oppose any attempt to destroy democratic structures and reverse any democratic
gains.
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