FEATURE: December 1st calls for peace

The Gambia head to the polls on December 1st 2016 and if there is anything I have learned about elections is that sometimes even the most favorite candidates can lose against the least favorites.

I am sure memories are still fresh and people are still shocked from the recently concluded U.S elections. When the whole wide world (the writer very much included) thought that Hillary Clinton was going to win the ‘White House’ on a landslide.

However, what happened and who ended up in the famous White House is among the biggest wonders of the world and one of the biggest electorate shocks in political history.

In fact, Donald Trump won on a landslide! I know some readers might question that, but for me, if the least favorite candidate for an office could pull up a victory like that then that is a landslide; an overwhelming electoral victory. With all the jibes, insults, accusations and defamations on the campaign trail Donald Trump ended up winning the election, and in the blink of an eye, secretary Clinton was on the other side of the phone congratulating him. What is even more interesting is that Barack Obama, an adversary of Donald Trump — at least on the campaign trail — was among the first to congratulate him and also offered to help peacefully transitioned Donald Trump into power. Amazing, right?

Good, that brings us back to The Gambia. We hit the polls on December 1st this year and if we should learn anything — anything at all — then I believe it should be from the U.S elections — even more from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Politics is only politics and it should not mix up our little peaceful country. Peace is precious and nowadays it is rare so let us go to the polls and cast our votes peacefully. Violence is never a solution and it is always a setback on democracy and development. What we need on December 1st is a fair, transparent, and peaceful election. The Gambia is one of the most peaceful and religious countries in the world and we should not let politics taint the reputation of our country. Moreover, the future of any country in the world are the youths so therefore they need to be enlightened on their rights and encouraged to cast their votes because their votes are their voice.

For me personally, I believe that the most important votes in an election are the votes of the youths because they are the future so they should have a big say in choosing their own futures as well.

We might be supporting different candidates and we might even have different views as to what is best for the country, but remember, we all are citizens of this country and we all want something better for our country be its infrastructure, health, or human rights.

So, therefore, let us be the architect of a peaceful, developed, and democratic Gambia.

Therefore, on December 1st, simply go and cast your votes for whoever you support and immediately go back home. Watch TV or simply listen to a radio, because what December 1st calls for is PEACE!

AUTHOR: HADRAM HYDARA