Commentary Part 2
Should Muslims and Christians be in different camps in drafting the Constitution of the Third Republic?
The answer is in the negative. Every Muslim or Christian is first born a citizen of the Gambia and then brought up a Muslim or Christian. We have said it ad infinitum that Gambians must know themselves, their country and the world in order to be the architects of their own destiny and be no one’s slave on the face of the earth. The Demagogue has read all these catch phrases that have given dignity and maturity to so many Gambians over the years but would now want to throw dust in the eyes of the youth so that they would surrender their brains to his divisive and corrosive campaign of promoting discord among citizens of the Gambia and vilifying those promoting understanding and unity. Despicable to say the least!!! He will pay a heavy price for his deceit.
It is important to start by emphasizing that every Gambian child, regardless of birth or origin, has a right to a Gambian identity from birth and a right to survival, protection and development in his or her homeland without suffering any alienation and discrimination of any sort. It is this dignity and self-worth of each person that should be guaranteed from birth to death by the state and its citizens .That is what nurtures the sovereign citizen that each person has a right to be in a sovereign Republic.
It goes without saying that, it is the indivisible homeland of the whole Gambian people that defines the full identity of all Gambians and not the fragmentations signifying group and sub-group identities. The nation nurtures the social self that is ready to serve, live and die for country and people, regardless of the peril or the cost. This is the person within whom the sovereignty of a Republic resides. When such people meet, they should be able to discuss and agree on how they wish their affairs to be managed in their interest without antagonism. That is the mind, will and spirit that should govern the constitution building process of a sovereign Republic.
A Constitution is a National document which is adopted at a Referendum requiring a single vote from each citizen who is qualified to vote, on the basis of the principle of one person one vote and one voice. Hence each citizen should be involved in its making and should be concerned about its content.
Therefore, every good citizen should assist the other to enable each to digest the content of a draft constitution, debate on content in an enlightening, sober and respectful manner so as to agree or agree to disagree on substance without any acrimony, knowing fully well that in the final analysis, it is the vote of each citizen that would be collated to determine approval or disapproval. The opinions and sentiments expressed on podiums, pulpits, bantabas, halls or cyberspace could only have persuasive influence.
First and foremost, to avoid confusion, Gambians should know the origin of Constitutions. History teaches that we had a checkered history of Constitutional development precisely because of the misleading statements of people like our demagogue who pretend to be in the service of good when they sow nothing but the seed of confusion and discord.
To those with elementary knowledge of political Science, a Republican Constitution is a byproduct of the aspiration of a people to govern themselves without any subservience, obedience or adherence to the dictate of any foreign power or state.
In this regard a brief history is needed to enrich the debate that is forced on me by a demagogue posing as an erudite intellectual pretending to be couth in the craft of the pen. His unholy alliance against national unity, clarity, decency and commonsense will torn asunder and the verdict of truth will prevail.
The question now arises: How did Gambia evolve to have the constitution it has today? Why are we engaged in crafting the Constitution of a Third Republic? Why should Gambians refuse to accept to be imitators instead of innovators in crafting their own constitution?
What is the role of the individuals and the groups in Constitution building?
Why should faith-based groups like Muslims and Christians work together to define and defend their group rights in harmony without any conflict of interest in crafting the clauses of a Republican Constitution?
These are the questions I wish to give irrefutable answers to in part three before drawing my conclusion in part four. To be Continued
Commentary Part 3 https://foroyaa.net/the-road-to-constitutionality-in-the-gambia/
