Good Morning Mr. President, We Are In An Election Year!
The Point (Banjul)
EDITORIAL
January 8, 2001
Banjul
Mr. President, Gambians and the world at large were expecting you to address the
issue of this year's programmed elections in your New Year message, but they
were all disappointed. There was no word about the said elections, although you
outlined other issues that your government intends to address in 2001.
Prior to your message, precisely before it hit the airwaves, President Eyadema
blamed the Electoral Commission of Togo for being late in its programming of the
elections. Another African head of state also opened the floodgates for their
election agenda.
The above is meant to explain how these issues are important in the life of a
nation. We are not asking for the impossible nor the unconventional; what we are
saying here is that all your programmes would be nothing without the mandate
from the people through their votes, hence the importance of the issue of
elections.
You just laid emphasis on your achievements and plans for agriculture, health,
education, communication, road construction, youths etc. etc. But all these are
subject to the outcome of the proposed 2001 elections, which ensure continuity
or otherwise.
You should have alerted your fellow citizens, your administration, the bodies
charged with the issue and the international community for their support in this
area.
Such a segment of your speech could have included an update on the situation at
the Electoral Commission depicting your government's commitment to the dates set
by the former leadership of the body. This is very important as it relates to an
issue that is exercising the minds of Gambians and, more importantly, it casts a
shadow of doubt on your commitment to free and fair elections. In the same vein,
you could have also declared without any ambiguity your own commitment to free
and fair elections.
We believe that you are the first President who had failed to mention in his
message for the New Year an important happening such as a national election
scheduled for that same year. Where were your advisers? Or don't you have
advisers? Or maybe, as rumoured, do you act in isolation - as implied by the
Secretary for Justice when he said that you do not need to consult Cabinet about
certain issues.
Coming from a lawyer, such a statement is alarming, for it is an admission that
those who surround you are not doing justice to their jobs as servants of the
nation.
Collective responsibility is and has been the name of the game in all
governments. People who serve in governments must have honour and dignity, and
if these are not respected, they should honourably bow out and seek other jobs.
Coming back to the issue of the Election Year, as the President and the Chief
Executive of the nation you should have led the way in making pronouncements
about this our Election Year. But, for there is a but, the Opposition also
failed to do the same.
WE hope that this mishap be corrected by all those concerned as soon as
possible.
Good Morning!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
