Some English definitions of the word dictator' 

i.	“A ruler with absolute power over a country, typically one who has obtained power by force”. 
ii.	“A person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession”
iii.	“(In ancient Rome) a person invested with supreme authority during crisis, the regular magistracy being subordinated to him until the crisis was met”
iv.	“A person who authoritatively prescribes conduct, usage, etc”
v.	“A person who dictates, as to a secretary”

Definition (i), (ii) and (iv) are very relevant for the topic. 

Source – en.m.wikipedia.org: “Dictatorship is a form of government where political authority is often monopolized by a single person or political party, and exercised through various oppressive mechanisms”

Isn’t these what of Jawara and his PPP administration were for almost 30 years? Absolutely!

Here are few obvious examples:

1.	No Separation of Powers/Concentration Of Power At The Executive: Jawara has both the legislature and judiciary as extended arms of the presidency instead of co-equal branches for governing. His personality and soft-mannered conflict resolution skills maybe deceptive but he has exerted complete control over government.  He hires/fires judges at times/reasons of his choosing. For that body to co-exist independently along side the other 2-arms the procedures of hiring and firing should have been democratically structured. Jawara’s relations with the legislature vis-à-vis their role as lawmakers were seriously compromised/corrupted with inducements of making them his technical/policy advisors (ministers).  This is institutionalization of autocracy. How likely that person legislate for the interest of citizens and/or protect/preserve his/her personal interest? The effects were essentially one party rule without beating or jailing political opponents. Over time all of United Party (UP) members of Parliament except Gibou Jagne cross-carpeted to PPP so as to gain favor and as well maintained political survival.  Sheriff Sisay ventured outside but quickly returned to be the darling of the economy (that’s another topic subject worth examining – was it PPP govt. and/or was it conditionality’s of IMF/World Bank). SM Dibba will not return but died in isolated. Should I mention Sr. AM Camara? Lamin Waa Juwara, the last of the bunch, fought for PPP to change cross-carpeting rules until the coup threw them all out. A culture of one-party state developed and not in the books. Not only there is no chance for other parties to survive with relevancy and/or stand a chance of winning but the strategy has corrupt us all to participate in growing it. I know of friends who were been groomed to join PPP as MPs of their respective areas.  Maybe Yahya lacked such shrewdness and his use of open force made him public enemy number one but the effects of Jawara strategies were as much more effects yet condoned and celebrated in many quarters. 
2.	No Separation of PPP and The Government Of The Gambia: PPP and The Government of The Gambia were comingled as 2 personal properties. Hiring/firing of citizens to government jobs are at times politically motivated; state resources and PPP assets are synonymous; PPP/Jawara campaigned at the expense of the state while other political parties are not state sponsored. One good case in point Meet The Farmers Tour. This could be a legitimate state/governance activity but we all know is overwhelmingly politics. 
3.	Personalization/Politicization Of The Electoral Process: Jawara made his Politically Appointed Divisional Commissioners’ Returning Officer of elections he is a contestant.  How is that different from Yahya muscling the so-called Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Surprisingly this is one of the rear instances Yahya out foxed Jawara politically by at least seemingly separating election management with government/party. In addition Jawara controlled the very fabric of our society by clinching on to the firing of District Chiefs. This linage is who we are as people – marriage, burials, mosques, churches, circumcisions, christenings, divorces, etc.  Once a Gambian politician manipulates this fundamental structure s/he will be in total control. Yahya is now doing the same by both bribing and harassing the social structure that holds us as a people.  
4.	Heavy-Handed Exploitation of The State of Emergency laws in The Aftermath of the Failed 1982 Attempted Coup: Can someone make a reasonable case that the thousands of Gambians incarcerated from few days to years are coupists in 1982. Or can we point to their crime against the state? Some of our people sat at Field Force Depot/Bakau Primary School for simply waving hands/handkerchief as Kukoi pass-by. I was in Banjul going to school and saw with my eye PPP bigwigs in Senegalese Army trucks pointing fingers at compounds – the next you know someone is picked. The point is not to go after those who break our laws but common sense dictates that those thousands are no coupists. It was simply a political witch-hunt that further entrench an already entrenched PPP. Besides the haphazard application of state of emergency laws Jawara and his praise-singer looted every dime of the sympathy millions poured into the country.
5.	Selective Application of Laws (No Impartiality)/No Due Processes: In subtle ways PPP supporters, their relations and friends have walked-free breaking laws and/or violation of rights of other citizens. Remember Saikou Sabally?  It was after gross embezzlements substantiated on him and/or under his watch Jawara propelled him to Vice Presidency plus 2/3 other portfolios. In fact this was after Jawara promised the nation that the culprit(s) will dance to the tune of their music. Yet shoplifters, marijuana smokers/growers/sellers and/or cattle rustlers will do years of jail time at Janjanbureh/Jeswuang and/or Mile 2. Under the pretext of security – how many Checkpoints between Banjul and Serekunda or Brikama?  The true purpose was/is to exert undemocratic control over citizens. The by-products are undemocratic searches, seizures and/or bribery. Police beatings and heavy handedness are an open secret. We may only point to few fatalities but countless suffered these undemocratic humiliations at the custody of those paid to protect, comfort and reassure us. A fundamental tenant of democracy is a restraint government – Jawara/PPP was unhitched.
6.	Illegal Acquisitions/Transfers OF National Assets Into Personal Property: Here not only the legality is the issue but also ethic. Even if the legislature makes laws to divest national assets the president should be the last to bid. Otherwise unnecessary conflict of interest ensues. All of the land at part of Yundum is state own yet Jawara cut himself a piece. He fenced it with state own iron run ways from the old airport. He occupied it with state owned buffalos. I can’t speak of how and from what coffer the employees are paid.  Equally ‘The Barajally-Alimami Faara’ is fenced with the iron run ways from the airport. Beyond Jawara study the real estate holding of senior members of PPP administration – this wasn’t just dictatorship; it was simply madness.
7.	 Inadequate Constitutionality: During PPP rule many state businesses weren’t conducted in accordance with set standards (A Republican Constitution, Legislative Acts and Other Laws and Rules). The order came from above is not a Yahya phenomena it’s simply a carried over from Jawara era.
8.	Failure To Develop Civic Capacities Of Citizens:  Certainly the number of Gambians educated has steadily increased since the dawn of independence. What was and still left out is to educate citizen on both their civic responsibilities/duties and rights. In addition it’s not just failing to teach/nurture civic matters but deliberately not institutionalized the free exercise of ‘civic-ness’. What obtained was/is an educated class who beggars PPP for recognition and loot from the poor. Jawara created a culture that forced citizens to either bootlick or you are nobody. 
9.	No Decentralization: Has it ever occur to you that the colonial rulers has let us elect our president but our presidents/governments refused us hire/elect/select and/or fire our Commissioners’, District chiefs and/or Village Heads. Even were we do he (Jawara) could remove them at his time/reason of choice. More over they have no authority besides the dictates of the dictator in Banjul.
10.	Failure To Create And Maintain Basic Social Statistics:  This was/is a deliberate act of public officials to ensure no records to make accountability difficult/impossible but not necessarily lack of know-how and/or resources. Isn’t the very definition of dictatorship is the imposition of one’s will on others? How is that different from government acting on the mood of individuals rather than facts/figures.  No citizen register (birth/dead), no vehicle register, No National ID register, passport, economic variables, production statistic, etc.  How do you determine how many cup of rice for lunch – know/count the number of expected at lunch in your house? What different except at a more complicated scale? 
  
The combined effects of the above make Jawara a monopoly of power. By and large he isn’t a violent ruler but no doubt he exerted total control over state. This is classic definition of a dictatorship in a supposed republic where citizens are supposed to be sovereign.

I understand our long-standing love for Jawara. Yet we have to face the reality of our history if we’re to hold on any hope of making it right. Comparing Jawara to Yahya is a futile engagement. We ought to measure both men to ‘What We Were Supposed To Be Against What We Became’ under their rule. I had made sarcastic statements that Yahya is Jawara on steroid. A closer look at the above characteristics of Jawara rule and what Yahya is currently doing from farms to exotic animals to businesses are testament to that fact.

Finally for a fix of our political problems: Step 1 – get over romanticizing Jawara/PPP. Our goal can’t be the return of Jawara’s Gambia. Loved him or not he failed to make us what we were supposed to be – A Democratic Republic. Step 2 – reduce the overly obsession over Yahya – he’s bad but our problems are bigger than him. The more we focus on the bigger picture the irrelevant we can make Yahya Step 3 – the only legitimate claim we have is to reclaim our founding creed – A Democratic Republic of The Gambia. Step 4 – our solution is not in efforts to organize one political group against another especially when the other controls elections. Our legitimate goal is A Demand For A Democratic Republic. This is bigger than organizing elections and do not have to wait for a new president. This is amassing political leverage that will work to institutionalize democracy. That newly created democratic environment will afford each citizen a level playing field where one can seek any office from free and inform citizens.
.
Burama FL Jammeh

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