Below is an article in this week's edition of WEST AFRICA MAGAZINE (page 10,
issue No. 4289, 20th-26th August 2001)
Why, Jawara, why?
Adama Gaye
THIS IS THE MOTHER OF ALL COMEBACKS, and may be the biggest failure in
perspective. The man who ruled The Gambia from 1965, when this tiny West
African nation (less than one million inhabitants and roughly 10,000 sq km)
became independent, to 1994, when he was toppled in a military coup, has
decided to stage a comeback. Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, if all goes
according to what is believed in his country, will join the political pack
and re-engage in active internal politics. At 77 years of age, he is keen
to take on his military successor turned civilian ruler, President Yahya
ammeh, who is less than 40 years old. Is this revenge, nurtured by the
souvenir of the humiliating coup d'etat suffered by a man considered,
rightly, as the father of Gambia's independence? Or is it the ultimate
expression of his genuine commitment to public service?
But will Jawara be successful? Will he be referred to after the October
2001 presidential election as the comback veteran? Or is this a foolish
adventure for an old man who has lost all sense of reality after several
years of exile in England?
When I heard the news of Jawara's decision to return to the political field
as a potential presidential candidate, I had to pinch myself. How come an
old man considers it wise to be a contender in a presidential race that
should feature younger generation leaders? At his age, people generally
enjoy their retirement and take care of their grandchildren or even the
great-grandchildren that, in his case, he must have been fortunate to have.
But no, Jawara wants to occupy the political centre stage again. This is
certainly not the best move by someone who should have learnt better from
life and experience. Maybe that is how dinosaurs behave. Or is it just
another example of how difficult it is to adapt to this fast changing world
for one of those people who claim divine right to rule their countries?
Too bad for a man whose name brings back memories of those leaders who have
long been forgotten unless they were very effective while in office. Jawara
could have kept his place in the not so crowded gallery of leaders retained
by history if he had understood that his only duty was to remain the father
of The Gambia's independence and the man who did his best, mistakes and
achievements included, to steer his country's first moves in the comity of
nations.
Jawara's contemporaries were, in Africa, the likes of Senegal's Leopold
Sedar Senghor, Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta, Cote d'Ivoire's Houphouet Boigny,
Ethiopia's Haile Selassie, to name but a few. He belongs to that generation
of leaders associated with the first years of Africa's march on the
international scene. On the world stage his counterparts included, among
others, China's Mao Tse-tung, America's Lyndon Johnson, France's Charles de
Gaulle and Britain's Edward Heath.
So why on earth does he believe it is not yet time for him to abide by the
famous Shakespearian saying that everyone should exit the stage after having
played their role?
That is not Jawara's idea. He proved that while in government. He
announced in 1991 that it was time for him to leave the political scene
voluntarily, only to "change" his mind quickly when, he said, people
"forced" him to remain. Did he seriously believe that without him there
would be no The Gambia? Since 1994, life has continued - new roads, new
schools and other projects have emerged. The Gambia continues to be a
reality. Nobody demonstrated to have Jawara back in power. So his
self-declared Messiah status, his ambition to lead his People's Progressive
Party (PPP) - the former governing party - again, show how the man likes
power. Nothing else.
Jawara should go and rest. His family and friends should tell him that. The
international community too. It is time for him to rise above the pettiness
of politics and understand that whatever his noble goals for his country
are, he should channel them through other people, younger people, leaders
with drive, strength and vision for The Gambia. Who can doubt that there
are plenty of other Gambians who would be honoured to stand for the
presidential race and give a more credible run to the current President?
Jawara runs the risk of being disgraced like other leaders who staged failed
political comebacks, such as Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia, Pinto de Costa in
Sao Tome, Yakubu Gawon in Nigeria, and outside Africa, Bolivia's Hugo
Banzer, who comebacks turned out to be a total disaster.
No matter what one may think of Jammeh's rule in The Gambia, it is a pity
that Jawara is falling victim to greed for power. The road to dignity is to
go back home as an elder statesman and be welcomed that with all the honour
and respect due to his past role in the independence struggle and in the
service of The Gambia. The younger generation, including Jammeh, could
benefit from his advice.
Those who tell him that he is the only one who can defeat the current
President because of supposedly solid support from the Mandingo group are
fooling him. Other people in his party deserve to be given a chance, unless
Jawara did not do anything to nurture them for governance while he was in
office. Sir Dawda Jawara, it is time to rest, and learn from dignified
African leaders, like Nelson Mandela, who left power without turning back.
History is on their side, not on the side of those who cling to power at all
costs.
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