Dear
fellow Gambians,
I
feel compelled to send this message to add a little bit to the thoughts that
must be occupying your minds at this critical period of our history.
Having
suffered corruption and brutal tyranny for 22 years, it is reasonable to expect
this victory to herald a new beginning illuminated with the realisation of the
preciousness of our civil liberties, the rule of law, transparency and
accountability.
Much
like someone having a near-death experience would likely cherish life much more
afterwards, and will tell you to live everyday like it is your last. At least
for a while immediately following that experience. That is why I, and many
people expected this transition period to be completely free of party politics.
After
our near death experience I thought everybody in the country would be focussed
on rebuilding our institutions, reforming our security services, and equally if
not more importantly, get on immediately with Truth, Reconciliation and
Justice.
Within
every bad experience there is a silver lining, a benefit you can get in return.
It is not always accepted, or taken but it is there nonetheless.
The
truth is important because it is only by knowing exactly who, what, when,
where, and how, can we hope to gain the benefit of what we have gone through.
The
undisputed truth, backed by evidence and witnesses, will also serve to bring
the nation together against Jammeh and ensure he is banished forever from our
collective psyche. Reconciliation is important because all the guilty are
Gambians, our neighbours, brothers and sisters.
They
live among us, we went to school together, they are married to our cousins, and
we cannot lock up the entire country. Justice is also important because some
crimes are so severe, the victims so aggrieved, that justice must be seen to be
done.
Unfortunately,
the politicians do not seem to be living in the same world as us and I imagine
many will be dismayed at the haggling and party political manoeuvring that we
have been witnessing.
My
views on how the coalition should have proceeded are well known, but we are
where we are and must move forward. These national assembly elections present
the first chance to let the politicians know how you feel. The message to them
should be ‘If you won’t put Gambia first, we will!’
You
now know how powerful your vote can be, please use it wisely. The National
Assembly is the body that scrutinises governments and passes laws, and its
members represent us the people of their constituencies. Please do not vote on
political party lines, do not vote because of someone’s tribe, do not vote on
family ties, or friendship.
The
most important quality for a NAM member is integrity. Intelligence is not a bad
thing, or ambition, but the most essential is someone you feel is trustworthy.
Of
course, you could turn out to be wrong about someone, in that case do not vote
for them next time! When you are in the polling booth your vote is
indistinguishable from the other thousands of votes, it is a secret ballot so
it is impossible to know who you voted for. Honesty, love of country,
knowledgeable, good character, INTEGRITY.
Who
you vote for is a matter of personal conscience. Please put Gambia first
because we will end up with the Gambia we deserve.
Yours
truly,
CS
Khalil
