It is time, serious sceptics of the UDP like me and else strike what the
American neo-conservative commentator, Norman Podhoretz, calls a "brutal
bargain", with the UDP leadership; a covenant of what to expect should we put
our scepticism and moral disagreement on the respite agenda and give them the
support needed to politically/electorally empty Jammeh into the dustbin of
history come the next general election.
By "brutal bargain", Podhoretz was referring to it then to mean the
"deal" between mainstream America and hyphenated America in order to
assimilate the latter into the former. Hyphenated America willing and ready
to give up on things/cultures intrinsic to their history/identity and
assimilate whilst the mainstream is willing and encourages the accommodation
and assimilation of the hyphenated. This in itself has not done bad to
American life as a melting pot. Even if it means corroding/depleting the core
of what truly entails hyphenated America's culture, it had enriched the
mainstream culture and given America what the Founding Fathers had dreamt of;
an objective pluralist society that is accommodating. A truly multi-cultural
America. Of course neo-conservatives are in deny of this today. They are
increasingly being revisionist about Podhoretz's "brutal bargain"
intellectually and working fervently against the trend and tide of
multi-cultural America. Even if it remains until some time in the mid 1990's
the main consensus between Liberals and moderate Conservatives in the culture
wars that had consumed America since the 60s, the Right is attacking this
consensus from all angles these days. But that is by the way....... it is not
our topic here today. Sorry for the necessary digression.
It is about time that those of us who are in principle not in favour a
UDP gov't under normal circumstances, take a neat leaf out of Norman
Podhoretz's "brutal bargain" as I tried to explain it above. Even if the UDP
is not your ideal political party, you would have to agree that it represents
decency and respect which any given polity needs by all means to move on to
better things. But decency and respect is not everything. We need more. Where
are the new ideas to turn things around? On the collapsing economy, the
military, the constitutional and institutional frameworks we need for a
viable civic oriented polity after Jammeh, the Casamance and Bissau issue,
the case of the impounded properties of the former PPP gov't members, the
obvious political limbs and baggage of remnants of the ragtag fraternity of
the PPP that are part of the UDP had brought to it, to what extent do they
[former PPP officials] influence policy and direction in the Party? There are
a thousand questions I can throw at them that I need at least a clarification
on or a pledge what is to be done about it.
The UDP, at any rate, after virtually almost 4 years of existence as a
political force, still borders on the ambiguous. It is hard to culminate it's
pulsating political philosophy that runs in it's veins; it's cementing
ideology or world view. It's funny position of being a crossover and
hurriedly patched up ragtag fraternity of at best strange political bed
fellows who have struck an alliance to battle the common enemy. The aura of
mysticism that is it's relationship with the ancien regime of Jawara and old
order. Most Gambians like me haven't got a clue on these important issues and
their wider ramifications should the UDP enter gov't.
Yet it is becoming a hackneyed acknowledgement that under free and fair
conditions [even that acerbic commentator Cherno "Mawbeh" Jallow has given
them his "toast"], the UDP will electorally empty Jammeh into the dustbin of
history. A UDP gov't has far wider ramifications than merely emptying Jammeh
into the dustbin of history. The challenges lying in front of a post Jammeh
Gambia are numerous and requires dedication, honesty and selflessness. But
above all new ideas to confront the harsh realities of daily Gambian misery
on the ground. Can the UDP deliver? I can't in all honesty answer because I
haven't got a clue. It is however, fair to allude to it the moral dilemma of
having too many faces and fronts or baggages which will not augur well for
the Gambia if not clarified.
It is becoming a common place fallacy to attribute to the growing
vehemence of anti-Jammehish an apologia for Jawara-ism. This is erroneous. A
falsity that needs be tackled as the tyrannous evil of Jammehism itself. This
growing vehemence of anti-Jammehism is more than just replacing Jammeh with
decency and respect. It is a clarion call for better. Better. And better. The
poor people of the Gambia need and deserve better. It's been some 35 odd
years since the departure of Europeans from our country. Yet virtually little
has changed and much in need of doing. To overturn this, we need bold,
pragmatic and selfless leadership to inspire and direct us to newer heights.
A leadership, to pinch a phrase from Halifa, that has the foresight to inject
hope into the hopeless, buckle up the forlorn and most importantly harness
our enormous resources into building a new and better Gambia that is worthy
of emulation in the subregion.
Since the PDOIS has taken up again it's neutrality in the status quo as
is inevitable with all most post-Marxist Pan African political groups who
have yet to reconcile their differences with moderation and the mainstream,
it is worth mentioning here that Liberal moderation has two choices. Either
to continue being sceptical of the UDP, cross their fingers and hope for a
messianic figure to arrive and deliver them from the devil of Kanilai. In
other words fence sit and be mere arm chair critics of the situation. Or on
the other hand, Liberal moderation can strike a "brutal bargain" with the
UDP; that in return for their principled and conditional support, Liberal
moderation expects and anticipates a convenant with the UDP leadership on the
fundamental issues aforementioned earlier. Of all the options opened to us,
the latter is more practical and prudent given the exigencies of the politics
of the period. To procrastinate would be foolish and detrimental to our dear
country.
This convenant must be entered into now. The UDP leadership must come
out in the open and formally state in black and white what it will give in
return should this "brutal bargain" go forward. It cannot wait until the
twelfth hour and make throwaway pledges that are inconceivable or ill-thought
out. It must come out now with pledges that the Gambian people will hold them
onto should their mandate be signed come the next general election.
Perhaps the affable and eloquent Karamba Touray or the liaison officer
the UDP online, Mr Saihou Mballow, will step forward and address our
concerns. Or better still someone on the ground like Mr Femi Peters, the
campaign director of the UDP or the indefatigable Mr Juwara, the propaganda
secretary should be invited online by those in the Gambia who have access to
the List to engage the Diaspora and Gambians in general about their
anxieties, fears and hopes.
As my good friend Halifa Sallah rightly put it to me some time ago, this
is a time to share. Indeed a time to share everything as a people. The UDP
must never delude itself into the fallacy that everything is clear-cut and
they are on their way to claim the crown or the reins of power unfettered.
Perhaps the utterances of some UDP supporters like the fellow in the
Washington DC protest of last month [a Mr Dabo], who claimed that they are
riding to electoral victory with or without the support of other
parties/interests, is a stark reminder that the UDP need be reminded that
this is not an ego ride or selfish uni-lateral political crusades. And
victory must come only by engaging and embracing other interests who are in
principle not in favour of a UDP gov't.
Whatever happens after Jammeh, must be about the Gambian people
bettering themselves after the recent experiences of both Jammeh and Jawara.
For this, those of us who are in principle not in favour of a UDP gov't under
normal circumstances must reconcile this principle with our vehemently
anti-Jammehism. It is time for the "brutal bargain" and a UDP formal
convenant with the Gambian People. The timing couldn't be better.
Hamjatta Kanteh
hkanteh
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
