Editorial – Foroyaa NO: 57/2003 31 July – 3 August 2003

July 22nd Celebrations The Need For Political Literacy

The nation is spending 7 million dalasis to upkeep the State guard and 7,5
million to upkeep the NIA annually to provide state security. However,
President Jammeh should realise that the best form of state security is
political maturity and integrity. When an office has integrity, when it is
held in high esteem it receive protection from the people. When an office
is brought into disrepute it becomes vulnerable. No one would have expected
that after 9 years in office 7 years of which is in a multiparty system the
President will stand on a political platform and reduce himself to the
level of school boy trying to give the following derogating meaning to the
acronyms of political parties NDAM. NRP, PPP. PDOIS and U DP. This is the
height of political illiteracy. A politically literate person would know
that such comments would backfire and would invoke the right to reply in
equal measures. President Jammeh should put an end to July 22nd
celebrations. The reason for this is simple.

First and foremost, it is teaching the wrong political lesson. It is
teaching another person in the security forces that it is glorious to
carryout military takeover. What should be taught is that a regime which
fails to raise the awareness of a people and empower them to fully take
charge of their destiny risk being isolated and vulnerable to be taken over
by a few in the name of the many.

July 22nd should not be a day to condemn critics. It should be a day to
reflect whether the mistakes of the past are being solved or explained. The
fact that a few people are taking charge of the economic life of the
country and have mucked the Continent Bank to bankruptcy. The fact that
chiefs, alkalos and even the Director of NIA who should be more neutral
than the head of any other force could be an open APRC campaigner confirms
that Gambia is yet to be free from self perpetuating regimes which dilutes
the free expression of choice of leadership. A regime which patronise
praise singers and is intolerant of critics is still in place. This is the
political lesson of the July 22nd takeover.

The development prospects are all part and parcel of the account or
development budget. Government contributes less than 6% of the funds for
development. The rest comes from loans and grants. Government has access to
such loans and grants if they adhere to certain conditionalities.
Governments who are completely useless are those which fail to deliver.
This lesson is what Jawara's followers fail to learn in the past.  Now
President Jammeh's praise singers are repeating the same mistake. They also
ask what Gambia will be without him.

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