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Political maturity is key in any democracy

Aug 12, 2011, 12:58 PM

As The Gambia will be going for a Presidential Election in November this year, it is incumbent upon all the politicians to nurture the peace in the country, and to also advice their supporters to be law-abiding.

People should know that it is their right to belong to any political party of their choice, the party in whose manifesto they have a very strong belief.

However, this should not make them to interfere with the political rights of others.

We should not allow politics to divide us, since politicians will come and go, but the country remains the same.

What is important for politicians at this moment is to sell their party manifestos to the electorate in order to get their votes.

The independent Electoral Commission has now set the ball rolling, and it is the duty of the political parties to do their campaign when the time comes, in peace and without any violence.

The media has also a crucial role to play in ensuring that adequate coverage is given to all the political parties, without any bias reporting, as this would greatly help political parties to sell their programmes.

We have to understand that political maturity and good governance are essential for the success of any democratic dispensation.

Peace is something which no one can buy on a silver platter; it is created by mankind, and we should all endeavour to protect it to the best of our ability.

The Gambia is known as The Smiling Coast of Africa, should show good examples to the rest of Africa, and the world at large.