For
too long Cowards and illiterates led and influenced Gambian Politics, but where
are the Brave and caring literate Citizens ready to take over Gambian Politics?
A wise American president said: “When the competent do nothing, the incompetent
will take over.” We are less than two
weeks before candidate registration ends and just about six weeks for
parliamentary elections and the Coalition are yet to even decide how to run.
Meaning we may vote without informed choices and accept any candidate thrown at
us? That will be very stupid of us and how many will then continue to blame
them? Read through and take a stand today for a change in the Gambia and possible
exportation beyond Africa. We must demand some things from the coalition or we
all vote Independent candidates.
First,
how to get the best candidates from the Coalition or as Independent? The brave
literate citizens should present them about three candidates or choose our own,
if they reject the three we deem fit. Every major Word in the title is
paramount in this special club for better representatives.
Brave
or Bravery: The club must demand and encourage bravery through debates, open
and secret voting for representatives. For example: if the Jokadu District club
has about 2000 members – after listening to debates on every ministry, 700
members openly voted for candidate A and about 400 members secretly voted for
candidate A, it makes it harder for candidate B or C to claim fraud like Jammeh
and Ms. Clinton wrongly did. Open voting is not for everyone and not trying to
copy the U.S primary system. We do not need super delegates on voting, but
something similar as committee.
Literate
or Literacy: The club should be only for literate folks, illiterates can donate
and submit suggestions, but not vote on party nominations. Since we are looking for change and politics
is too complex for illiterates, we must bravely show our illiterate parents
that they should listen to us more than we listen to them on politics.
Continuation example on Jokadu: About 70% of illiterate partners have two or
more literate children, meaning the youths are the majority, not the women or
community elders. How rarely do candidates target youths, especially in Africa?
Beside the majority of the 2000 members, how many elders and members will
eventually vote for the candidate Jokadu literates deem fit. Since it is for
literates, we can have website, emails, and other means to communicate –
allowing illiterates will make the communication harder and more time
consuming. We can have online voting, SMS voting, etc to save money than U.S
primaries as example. Ultimately every party may borrow and have something
similar, but we can take the lead and remain united against them if they
include illiterates.
Citizen:
Since this is a new thing in the Gambia, and perhaps in the world – I will
leave it open to debate with suggestions. I want us to start one immediately
for Jokadu district, NBD. Beside the 2000 Jokadu members, I think it will be
wise to allow Niumi Literate citizens to join the Jokadu club, if Niumi does
not have the club system yet. The Jokadu MP will make decisions that will
affect the Niumi citizens, so Niumi folks can be allowed to advise and vote
where it may help. The Niumi members who meet our requirements, including
financial contributions, will likely vote better than some Jokadu natives who
may vote on bloodline than honest decision based on thoughts. We ultimately want similar clubs, nationwide,
to choose presidential candidates for parties, rather than the one person party
ownership across most of Africa. So the literate folks should network as much
as possible, but the local committees can decide if only Jokadu Citizens or any
qualify Gambian citizen can join the club for change. Beyond Gambia, If a
Senegalese, Nigerian, or others in the U.S want to join, help fund, and
possibly learn through the Jokadu BLiCiElNoCFaMoRe, only cowardice and lack of
love may question “why” until our laws advise otherwise. I will love to be a
member in as many constituencies as possible, donating based on how ideal are
the candidates.
Electoral
Nomination: A nomination based on election or wider audience than the
traditional behind the scene hands-up system by community elders and mothers of
questionable clubs (Yaaye Compin). A system that failed to produce the best of
us for decades needs change. Every member will only have vote at the nomination
of candidates. It will be mainly youths who can vote through online, SMS
voting, etc. We will have live weekend debate and voting for educated elders
who are not computer literate.
Crowd
Funding: Financial Sacrifice is not exclusive to literates, but illiterates
find it harder to understand political financial sacrifice. Many illiterates
have faulty expectations from politicians and vice versa. It took right or
wrong explanations to have a culture that heavily donates to naming ceremonies,
wedding, religious ceremonies, etc. So few simple questions should be asked to
mainly literate folks to start a culture of funding for the best candidates.
How much money will you donate every year to non-political ceremonies versus
political ceremonies for every five years? D100, D200, or D300 for regular
membership and D5000 or D15,000 for premium membership or committee level. How
many thousands can we quickly generate through members, plus donations from
literate and illiterate ones? Every payment should be verifiable or you are not
literate enough to be in our club, or waste our time on accusations. Suppose
you want to remain anonymous, we will still accommodate you with number based
receipt to be posted on our website. Amadou Gigo, Saihou Omar Gigo, and how
many others are quick to donate D30,000 annually for Muhammad’s birthday or
heavy meat eating in Jokadu, so how can we convince them to donate similar or
stop complaining. We know they are less likely to leave their lucrative
business to sacrifice for us like Trump, Bloomberg, and how many educated
business folks? We know many donated over D5000 repeatedly to some form of fund
raising by Jammeh or Jawara – we must help the willing altruistic young ones
beyond registration fees and feeding volunteers.
Monitoring:
Accountability is necessary to earn more trust. Suppose we raise D200,000 for
our preferred candidate – we will expect the committee to show us how it was
spent – food, Transport, fees, etc. Some things will be debatable but we can
remind literate ones on tolerance. We cannot allow personal bribes from our
money as tolerable in the name of culture. The whole purpose of such clubs is
to change the culture of politics beyond the Gambia. We fought against what we deem wrong in
foreign elections, but when will we confront our own? The secondary monitoring
includes advising members on what is being debated at the parliament and giving
suggestions to representatives. It does not mean the representative will always
vote based on the committee or general members recommendations, because the
representative have to be convinced or else will be like a robot.
Why
we should consider Independent candidates over the Coalition?
Simply
put, the coalition and no party should be able to expel any voted MP through
party expulsion. They have made serious
mistakes and demonstrating snail-pace politics to be blindly trusted. Imagine a
very competent MP being expelled for disagreeing with the coalition or any
party? Our constitution must be
rewritten and some executive orders or solid agreements must be made to this
effect. The role of the party is really more of recommendation, and should
never be able to overthrow a candidate or people’s voice except through the
judiciary, ‘impeachable offence’. Any difference they may have means they can
recommend someone different in due time. We must avoid unnecessary elections
and loop holes to dictate MPs with fear of dismissal.
Further
on unnecessary elections, we must demand the Coalition to scrap their internal
agreement of “three years” for Barrow or re-write it for the vice president at
the time to rule the remaining two years. Beside waste of money, elections come
with risks. It is shameful that they cannot trust each other and expect us to
trust them? I have differences with Barrow but I should be able to convince him
or tolerate him for five years. We have other priorities than trying to honor
an agreement that was unconstitutional and cowardly in many ways. Demonstrate
respect for our constitution and money, or all literate folks should recommend
Independent candidates. A robust parliament can be created through independent
candidates if the Literate folks take it to a new level with or without me as
the head at the national or regional level. For now, I am looking for potential
candidates and committee members to join me for the Jokadu District. We must
register an independent candidate before the dead line. If the coalition fails
to work with us or present a reasonable candidate, let us all vote independent.
If you think you are among the best to represent the constituency and having
money problems, still contact us. We will demand at least fifteen thousand from
potential candidates, plus the mentioned ways of funding to fund the best
candidate.
Mr.
Ousman Ndure of Willingara, Kombo North,
is one good example of why and how the literate folks should consider
Independent candidates. Mr Ndure is highly educated and capable of getting
higher paying jobs than MP. He was an instructor at GTTI, worked for Shell
International, and many other respectable institutions. If the constitution could
have guarantee Mr Ndure he won’t be expelled, I would have recommended he run
for the coalition or a party. Now that he is using his hard earned funds to
register as independent because of the coalition close door approach, among
other things, we must still support him as a principled and altruistic Gambian.
Regardless
of what the Coalition decides, please avoid voting APRC or PPP members, even if
they run under the coalition banner. These two parties did terrible things for
decades and hardly admitting their wrongs. Avoid voting for anyone around
seventy, old folks should advise but no longer lead Africa. May the Lord bless
us and continue to bless Showlove Trinity: Let’s learn, let’s work, let’s have
fun.
By
Jarga Kebba Ndure
An
Activist and Transformer