OPINION
Gambia Presidential election 2011: Free or Fraudulent
By Momodou Olly Mboge, Oslo, Norway
Opinions galore, thus here comes mine, take cover, sorry. November 24th is now history. Over 80% of the registered voters have made their choices as to who is to be their president. It is Sheikh His Excellency President Alhaji Doctor (Professor) Y.J.J Alphonse Jammeh that has been declared winner by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), though calling the IEC independent is an aberration. There is no doubt that the institution moonlighting as an independent electoral arbiter whose Chairman is a flunkey of the President is anything but, independent.
The opposition parties and their supporters are fulminating about the legitimacy of the results. The UDP/GMC Alliance has been thunderous in calling the results bogus and fraudulent whilst the UF is debriefing its agents we are told so as to have a more comprehensive understanding as to why and how things pan out the way they did. A cacophony of denunciations from a hysterical diaspora is clattering profusely from the ‘Jukeboxes’-cum-Internet radio stations, whilst online newspapers or shall I say blogs are being splattered with a lot of ink so to speak which is yet to dry with what went wrong with the November 2011 Gambian Presidential elections. Philistines and their analysis galore whilst serious studied conclusions of the whole election process are slow to burst forth.
However, what is becoming very obvious is that the philistines are becoming noisier as the days go by. Some of have been blaming the United Front for the abysmal performance of the opposition whilst a sprinkling handful are obliging with measured critique of the UDP/GMC Alliance. Most of these critics are the usual suspects for whom whatever some members of the opposition do or don’t do is never good enough. For these lot their ultimate aim and desire is to mute the voice of certain members of the opposition whom they perceive as engaged in ‘political gimmickry’. I must hasten to say though some of the people accusing certain opposition members as involved in political gimmickry with their insistence with process prior to the elections are not the usual suspects. Some seem to have experienced epiphanies along the way and have ‘unlearned and relearned’ the hubris others have been ‘indoctrinated and brainwashed’ with. I say whatever; we live in the era of human rights speak and it is our fundamental right to express our opinion and hopefully realize that one’s opinion is just an opinion, nothing else.
Let me say this, I am puzzled. It is very strange in my view that there is any question of legitimacy or fair play complains arising from the opposition. The opposition knew exactly what the rules of the game were and decided to participate in an obviously fraudulent election. They partly consented to fraud so blatant that it is baffling hearing cries of foul. They knew that the Professor and the founder of the cure to HIV/AIDS knows not what is fair play or understands basic principles of democracy or even if he does, it is obvious that he lacks the capability to accept and adhere to such values. I wonder had they (the opposition) won as we were told on several occasions during the campaign and prior of their impending victory, would we be harangued with the thunderous screams of fraud and foul play.
For what it is worth this elections gone by were free and fair. I say this is simply due to the fact that the opposition deluded themselves that they were going be victorious come 24 November 2011 and thus decided to jump deep. Rather than looking reality in the face they were busy shouting each other down, casting aspersions, throwing jabs, undermining each other’s efforts. The opposition failed in showing leadership and pragmatism. The Gambian electorates have spoken loudly and clearly and they have chosen the person who has consistently unleashed untold terror and misery onto them. The Gambian people have chosen to ignore the shenanigans of a deranged megalomaniac who’d maimed and killed their lot. They have chosen a lunatic who cures all forms of ailments on particular days yet goes haywire mad whenever he is asked about his invention. To ape sociological speak it seems rational choice is at play in the manner people voted last Thursday 24 November 2011. I may be very much wrong or perhaps misunderstand the theory; you guys know I am not that smart so excuse my attempt to appear deep. Just trying.
Thus it is my opinion that rather than whining and agonizing about the results of 24 November 2011, the opposition and especially those cushioned in relative safety outside the Gambia should step up and organize themselves and complement the opposition on the ground. The opposition on the ground should realize that a new game plan is needed and a serious strategy is a must for any impact to be felt come the legislative elections next year and beyond. The opposition on the ground should understand the anxiety and sometimes the angst displayed by the diaspora is inspired by a desire for a better and prosperous homeland. I for one understand this is the same desire in the opposition on the ground thus I am tasking myself to never ridicule or doubt anyone’s efforts or commitment.
The late Pan-African optimist, Dr Tajudeen Abdu Raheem adroitly answered when put to him that the idea of a United States of Africa was an unrealistic dream by stating that; ‘Slaves dared to dream for freedom. Colonial subjects dared to dream for freedom’. It is in keeping with such infectious optimism that I dare to dream and crazily believe that Gambians can ultimately as well dare to craft a free and prosperous future.
The great Pan-Africanist visionary President Thomas Sankara (whose life was stolen by the rogue Blaise Compaore whom he called brother who just happens to be more handsome than our own rogue SHEPAD YJJ Jammeh but equally as vile, vicious and murderous) dared us to be mad and dare invent the future. I hope the Gambian diaspora as well as the opposition parties and perhaps the new ones that may surface in the near future have the ‘courage to turn [their backs] on the old formulas, and [have the] courage to invent the future’.
Another great Pan-African thinker and activist Frantz Fanon admonished that: “Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in relative opacity”. I believe 17 years of Jammeh calls for this generation to fulfill its mission or betray it. Enough of the ridiculous fights amongst the lot of the opposition and dare like mad men and women and invent a future for Gambia where all are free and prosperous.