Since independence, many Gambians have failed to gain the political maturity to be sovereign citizens with minds of their own capable of making independent judgement and taking independent stance without regard to who is in power. This lack of an independent mentality has prevented Gambians from being the architects of their own destiny.
This is why many cannot examine the words and practices of political leaders based on their own merits. Instead, countries are reduced to the properties of presidents and political leaders are labelled to either be for or against the president.
The objective way to judge a political leader is to examine whether what they say and do in the context of each time and circumstances is either in the interest of the people or against their interest.
Political leaders are not fit for purpose if what they say and do in the context of given times and circumstances are proven to be against the interest of the people.
Political leaders are not supposed to be pro -executive or anti-executive. They should be pro people and anti whatever harms their interest.
The duty of political leaders who are not in office is to scrutinise, criticise and restrain executive power so that it does not exercise powers beyond the bounds of what is reasonable and justifiable in a sovereign Republic. Those who show contempt for power or are its sycophants cannot promote the interest of the people. They can only nurture their own frustration or legitimise their own degradation.
A genuine opposition leader during the time of Jawara , Jammeh or Barrow cannot be found to be consistently saying and doing what will justify any rational human being to classify them to be the president’s backer. The duty of a democratic opposition leader is to refuse to join any government that comes through the barrel of the gun and prepare for an alternative government without being interested in coming to power by subverting constituted authority.
