QUESTION OF THE DAY
A republic could be built based on the unity of the people speaking the same language and sharing the same heritage or people of different languages but bound by their sense of belonging to a country and a desire to use their collective intelligence and initiatives to ensure a collective destiny of liberty and prosperity.
History has compelled Gambians speaking different languages to be subjected under one colonial domination and had to work together to accept the language of the coloniser as their official language. Hence merit should be the basis of being a representative or political civil servant, trained to promote the general welfare of all. Governments come and go but the citizenship of the people remain. Their power to determine their manner of government also remain. Hence if democracy is the agenda, political parties should disown members and supporters who are intolerant of those who are different.
One cannot mobilise people to come to your support if you display hatred. Hate messages and intolerance have no place in democracy. Democracy could only survive when there is democracy and attempts to win over people by selling one’s ideas rather than displaying one’s might.
