Is PDOIS The Political Party

for Better Governance?

  BY TIJAN NIMAGA Bronx New York

 

When Sidia Jatta, Halifa Sallah, Samuel Sarr and others founded the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism party [PDOIS] in 1986, little did they know that the majority of the Gambian people would not quickly embrace it due to the popularity or dominance of the two rival political parties in the country at that time.  

 

One of them was the ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party [PPP] led by Alahagi Sir Dawda Jawara and the other was the opposing National Convention Party (NCP) led by Sheriff Mustapha Dibba. Another profound reason for not easily accepting the PDOIS was that many Gambians misunderstood the difference between Communism and Democratic Socialism. This ignorance was often exploited as a tool by the PPP.

 

I can personally recall an encounter with one young man of the same age, as I was when he argued that Socialism is the same as the system of government in the Soviet Union and Cuba, and I had to bring an encyclopedia and explain to him what Socialism means. That was many years ago but I am still convinced that many politically minded illiterates still have that old idea of Democratic Socialism. However, the educated Gambian elite, who know the true meaning of Socialism, see the PDOIS as an extremely crucial challenger to the system of government of the PPP regime and regard them as a promising ruling party whereby the means of production and distribution could be socialized democratically by the people themselves.

      

Just as the PDOIS started to analyze and preach the structure of Socialism, a move which

was earning them gradual popularity, the Alhagi Sir Dawda Jawara’s PPP was swept away. At that time, the only political party, which could withstand the political might of the PDOIS, was, perhaps, the National Convention Party [NCP] led by Sheriff Mustapha Dibba. Sadly, the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism was just a fledgling party in Gambian politics and the majority of people had little knowledge of Socialism. As mentioned previously, they were either misinformed or did not understand the political system or the wonderful ideas that this Democratic Socialist party was advocating. However, the political scene worsened considerably when the government of president Yaya Jammeh subsequently viciously intimidated the freedom of speech formerly enjoyed under the leadership of Alahagi Sir Dawda Jawara.   

                  

In June 2005, Halifa Sallah, the principal leader of the PDOIS, was expelled from the National Assembly, along with three other opposition MPs on the grounds of dual party membership. This allegation was found to be untrue, since there is nothing in the Gambian Constitution that states that dual party membership is an offence and, when Mr. Sallah won the September 2005 by-election with a huge margin, his supporters and the PDOIS were overjoyed. However, Halifa Sallah did not escape the rebellious regime of Yaya Jammeh and, on the15 November, 2005, he was again arrested along with two other opposition leaders, this time charged with subversion and accused of having collaborated with the President of Senegal against the State. Sadly, our National Treasure, THE GAMBIA ECHO, did not exist at that time to expose the foul play of the Jammeh regime against political opponents whose collaboration he should be seeking in order to share opinions and ideas for better governance. Instead, he prefers to harass and intimidate them and their supporters.

 

The majority of the Gambian population still does not know what Democratic Socialism can mean for them, advocating Socialism as a basis for the economy and Democracy as the governing principle. This simply means that, in a Democratic Socialist state, the means of production are owned and shared by the entire population and the political power is in the hands of the people through democracy or republicanism as a post-state form of government. Broadly speaking, Democratic Socialism can refer to any attempt to bring about Socialism through peaceful and democratic means as opposed to violent insurrection.

 

It can be clearly seen from the above definition that the PDIOS is the only political party in The Gambia today that is capable of reconstructing our nation’s ailing economy, rebuilding its infrastructure and, above all, restoring its failed educational system.

 

Socialism is the main symbol of the traditional African society and it existed in Africa long before the arrival of the Early Europeans. It could be seen in our daily activities, in our farms, as well as within our governments and the remnants of it are still there throughout our small country. The question asked here is “can the PDOIS rule The Gambia?” and the answer is a resounding, absolute YES! If the PDOIS becomes The Gambia’s ruling party, it will establish a strong bridge for our economic strength and our national heritage, based on the following facts:

 

1.         If the Gambia becomes a Democratic Socialist state, there will no longer be foreign investors claiming to contribute to our national economy while, in actuality; they are trying to loot our small economic income. Investors and Foreign Banks will not exist and cannot, therefore, meddle with our national treasury. Even if some manage to survive, they will be forced to act in the interests of The Gambia and not their own. The whole of The Gambia’s economy will be controlled by The Gambian government alone and will be socialized for that purpose. 

 

 2.        If the Gambia becomes a Democratic Socialist state, all foreign companies operating in the country will be controlled by The Gambia or else they will not be allowed to operate.

 

3.         The import\export business will be owned entirely by the central government so that you and I will be able to take advantage of the products that are brought in by the government. Every store will be like the Gambian National Trading Center [NTC], which, for the information of the younger generation, was a state, owned company in the late 1970s, which used to sell everything that the people needed. I can remember when college exercise books were 50 bututs in other stores, and the NTC was selling them for half of that price. The store, therefore, became a national relief store for the poor. When the government sold NTC to a private buyer, the company went out of business due to mismanagement. This was an example of the capitalist idea of one man owning something that should have been nationalized.

 

4.         The buying and/or operating of our national assets by foreign companies, such as the illegal sale of Gamtel and Gamcel, will not be allowed.

 

The list goes on and on. 

 

If the PDOIS were the ruling party in power, two of our nation’s only economic sources, Gamtel and Gamcel, would not have been sold into the hands of foreign companies who are unknown and uncertain, and who are making changes in their own interests or, as some believe, acting as a source of networking for certain people around the world who could bring disaster to our small country.

 

Some will disagree with me that The Gambia should embrace Democratic Socialism but, if the former President of Mali, Modibo Keita, was able to experiment it in Mali, or if Ahmed Saikou Toure and Julius K Nyerere were able to try it in Guinea Conakry and Tanzania respectively, there is no reason why a tiny country like The Gambia could not also adopt it, being so small that almost every citizen owns the government much more than the politicians themselves.

 

Another great socialist state of our modern time is Venezuela where, in recent years, the entire population has been enjoying the government benefits that a socialist state can bring. Socialism is the only weapon against poverty. However, due to the misunderstanding of its aims and objectives, it is not winning the hearts of many African people, especially Gambians. However, as Karl Marx predicted, there will come a time in human history, whether now or later, that there will be a classless society and Capitalism will be replaced by Socialism.

Until that time, People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism, cheer up and keep on spreading your message across the whole of The Gambia in clear and precise terms so that even illiterate and uneducated people can come to fully understand and appreciate the immense benefits they are throwing away every time they vote for the wrong political party!!