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Momodou
Denmark
11684 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 08:06:42
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A NEW GAMBIA IN THE HORIZON
ONE GAMBIA ONE PEOPLE ONE DESTINY
THE INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNANCE AND REFORM PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED FRONT
ADOPTED 29TH OCTOBER 2011
A POPULAR CONVENTION TO SELECT ONE CANDIDATE FOR
A UNITED FRONT
TO BE HELD ON
3RD NOVEMBER 2011
CAMPAIGN SLOGAN: OWN YOURSELF, OWN YOUR COUNTRY/ SAVE YOURSELF, SAVE YOUR COUNTRY
2011 ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Vision and Mission
We the undersigned are compelled by the demands of the people to commit ourselves to the type of change that will place the country right into the hands of the Gambian people after 41 years of Republican existence.
The concentration of power in the hands of the executive and the constant amendments of the constitution to erode the functioning of a genuine multiparty system, especially the second round of voting and its replacement with first past the post, thus making the opposition parties to be disadvantaged by their share numbers, make it prudent for the opposition to establish a grand alliance not to seek power for its sake or effect change for its sake but to empower the people to build a durable democracy that would enable them to condition leaders to respect and safeguard their liberties and focus on their needs and aspirations for prosperity, freedom and happiness.
The united front is designed to usher in standards of best practice in governance and democracy, consolidate a common culture of respect for fundamental rights and freedoms so as to build an unshakeable democratic foundation that could foster genuine multi party contest and thus enable the people to make their choice of parties by comparing their principles, policies, programmes and practices.
The United Front holds that public power is not secure in any individual’s hands unless it is subjected to scrutiny and control and is restrained by just, legal or constitutional instruments, Independent and Democratic oversight institutions and an empowered population organised in civil societies like Unions and other associations that are guaranteed the fullest freedom of speech and assembly to enable them to exert the requisite influence or pressure on civil authority to safeguard their liberty and prosperity.
The United Front therefore is designed to bring into force a transitional government that would foster greater National Unity transcending tribe, religion, gender, place of origin, birth, disability or any other status and put in place a governance programme based on the core values of good governance and democracy, characterized by transparency, accountability, popular participation, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, the upholding of the rule of law, respect for and tolerance of political diversity and the fullest commitment to conserve, enlarge and protect freedom of information and freedom of the media.
The Transitional Programme
The Transitional Programme comprises:
1. CONVENTION TO SELECT A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND A RUNNING MATE
1.1 The United Front shall hold a convention on a day and time unanimously agreed by all member parties on the basis of 10 delegates per region per party or on any other basis of selecting 70 delegates that is acceptable to a party under its constitution.
1.2 An organising committee comprising a representative from each party shall be appointed by the executive or central committees of the member parties to be responsible for putting the logistics in place to hold the convention.
1.3 Each party that wishes to put up a candidate or any Independent person who wishes to be a candidate for selection by the Convention shall send a letter to the organising committee and copy it to all member parties, no later than a day before the holding of the convention.
1.4 A public announcement shall be made of the date and venue of the convention.
1.5 Each Independent Candidate is entitled to two delegates, one to propose his or her nomination and the other to second the motion.
1.6 Each party candidate shall be nominated by the party and the nomination shall be seconded by another party member who is a delegate.
1.7 Each delegate shall have one vote and shall be entitled to cast that vote in secret. Each candidate shall be entitled to address the delegates on the merits of his or her candidature.
1.8 No person shall be selected as a presidential candidate on the first ballot unless he or she has more than fifty percent of the votes validly cast at the convention.
1.9 Should no person have fifty percent of the votes cast in the first round, the two persons who have the highest and second highest number of votes shall participate in the second round.
1.9.1 In the second round of voting the person with the highest number of votes would be the presidential candidate.
1.9.2 Upon selection of the Presidential Candidate a committee comprising the
representatives of the executives of each member party and the Presidential candidate shall engage in consultation to select a running mate. The running mate shall be selected by consensus giving due regard to the value he or she could add to the ticket to enhance a successful outcome.
1.9.3 Upon winning an election under the United Front, the President and Vice President shall serve one five year term and at the end of the five years, shall neither seek a second mandate nor show preference for any presidential candidate in the next following Presidential election.
1.9.4 Constitutional amendments shall be promulgated to ensure that all subsequent presidents shall serve no more than two terms as President of the Republic of The Gambia .
2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SHADOW CABINET
2.1 There shall be a shadow cabinet comprising those who participated as contestants to become the presidential candidate of the United Front.
2.2 Each party is entitled to select a number of competent members to become part of the shadow cabinet.
2.3 Any candidate of the United Front elected president shall appoint his or her running mate Vice President and shall form a Cabinet from members of the shadow Cabinet among others.
2.4 Constitutional amendments shall be promulgated to ensure that the Vice President, once appointed, could only be removed through the same impeachment procedures as the President.
2.5 The post of Minister of Finance shall be filled by a competent specialist in matters of finance in consultation with the chamber of commerce and Industry.
2.6 The post of Attorney General and Minister of Justice shall be filled by a competent person appointed in consultation with the Bar Association.
3. REFORM PROGRAMMES FOR THE TRANSITION
3.1 Constitutional and Legal Reform
Constitutional and legal reforms shall be instituted by establishing a Constitutional Review Commission within a month of the assumption of office by the President and it shall be charged with the responsibility of conducting a nationwide sensitization and consultation with a view to receiving proposals to amend the constitution so as to restore the second round of voting, ensure the security of tenure and Independence of members of the National Assembly, the judiciary, the Independent Electoral Commission, the Public Service, restore and upgrade the autonomy of Local Councils and repeal all laws which encourage executive interference, restore Chieftaincy and Alkaloship elections, repeal all laws which hinder the exercise of fundamental rights such as the archaic enactments on sedition, the conditionality imposed before holding public meetings, processions or peaceful demonstrations in general; review legislation which censor free speech such as enactments on false information and ensure the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act.
3.2 Institutional Reform
Reforms shall be undertaken concerning the civil service to ensure professionalism and performance of duty to meet the expectation of the people in an accountable, efficient and effective manner without any fear of being subjected to any discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
1. Special Service Commission shall be established to facilitate the appointment of members of the Independent Electoral Commission, the Office of Ombudsman and other oversight institutions.
2. Professional Service Commissions shall be established to conduct appointments and regulate conditions of service, Judicial Officers, Teachers, Nurses and other public servants
3. Executive reforms shall be undertaken to make the cabinet more responsive to standards of best practice established in implementing laws, orders and policies designed to guide the operation of the various Ministries and Departments and further make it a practice for cabinet members to face the media to explain the policies of government and receive opinions on the impact they are making on the population. The reform programme shall be designed to effect total separation between party and state.
4. National Assembly reforms shall be instituted to amend provisions that enable the President to dissolve the National Assembly or empower a party to remove a national assembly member by virtue of party disputes. It shall strengthen parliamentary oversight, ensure enhanced representation by women through proportional representation and safeguard the immunities of parliamentarians against executive encroachment.
5. Judicial reforms shall be undertaken to ensure that there is no executive presence or manipulation of the Judicial Service Commission. All district tribunals and adjudicating bodies shall be under the judiciary and the appointment and removal of magistrates and arbitrators in courts shall be done by a separate judicial service commission that is completely independent of the executive. Schemes of best practice shall be incorporated to ensure speedy justice by well remunerated and fully independent administrators of the law.
6. Reform of prisons shall be effected to ensure that they are transformed into correctional rather than punitive institutions. Community service shall be given primacy over custodial sentences; prisons shall be organized in such a way that they provide an environment that is conducive for the rehabilitation of to prisoners. The maximum security wing of a prison shall cease to be detention centres. Prison administrators shall not be subjected to any other dictate but that of the law and best practice in prison administration. Presidential pardon shall be relied on to decongest the prison and facilitate national reconciliation.
7. Reform of police, the military and security services shall be undertaken to promote performance of duty on the basis of law and best practice. Measures shall be put in place to protect such personnel for non compliance with unlawful instructions especially politically motivated ones.
8. The establishment and consolidation of Independent Oversight institutions like the office of Ombudsman shall be given priority. They will look into employment matters in both the public and private sectors; monitor the condition of women and children, the disabled, pensioners and human rights. Such commissions shall be empowered to receive reports and conduct investigations on complaints of violation or non compliance with laws and international conventions designed to protect the rights and interests of those categories of people in society who may be more vulnerable to discrimination or marginalization because of the intolerance of others.
9. The Constitution shall be amended to separate the function of Attorney General with the function of Minister of Justice. The office of Attorney General shall serve as an Independent state Institution that is free from any political influence so that any intervention by the Attorney General in the judicial process will be motivated by the pursuit of the interest of Justice. A Ministry of Justice and Human Rights shall oversee the incorporation or domestication of all international, continental and regional conventions into domestic laws to promote civil, economic, social, political, cultural and ecological rights and ensure that they inform policy and practice in state administration.
10. Popular participation in decision making shall be encouraged by developing partnership with civil society organizations and empower them to articulate and protect the concerns of farmers, workers, the disabled, women, children, pensioners, the elderly, youth, owners of income generating enterprises, members of the chamber of commerce, media practitioners and those living with HIV/Aids and other categories or interest groups.
11. The right and duty of the media to receive and give information and hold all state organs accountable and responsible for their manner of service to the people shall be safeguarded. The state media shall be opened up to convey divergent views. The media shall be encouraged to hold all public service delivery institutions and elected officials accountable to the public. The media practitioners shall be free to establish a self regulating media commission to promote professionalism, ethical conduct and standards of best practice in journalism. A freedom of information Act shall be enacted to facilitate free access to information and enhance public accountability.
12. To enhance a climate of good governance and promotion of the prestige and image of the country internationally. Gambia shall become a signatory to the Africa Peer Review Mechanism and accede to all continental and international conventions that aim to encourage the separation of powers and ensure there are checks and balances in state administration that can guarantee transparency, accountability and commitment to the public interest.
Related Topic: Foroyaa Editorial : IS THE UNDBELIEVABLE HAPPENING? SIGNING CEREMONY OF MOU OF UNITED FRONT OF OPPOSITION PARTIES
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 09:31:25
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"ONE GAMBIA ONE PEOPLE ONE DESTINY"
NATIONAL DUTY AND NATION FIRST ABOVE PARTISAN AGENDA/INTERESTS
IS THE SPIRIT OF NATIONAL UNITY, PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY
FOR A COMMON GOAL
TOWARDS THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL
AND THE COMMON GROUND FOR 2011
BEING THE EXPECTATIONS FROM ALL OPPONENTS
FOR A UNITED NATIONAL FRONT! |
Edited by - kobo on 31 Oct 2011 17:29:43 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11684 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 19:45:02
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Photos from the Signing ceremony
 
 
 
 
 
 
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Senegambia
175 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 20:34:22
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| The paradox here is that of a United Front symbolizing Disunity! With true unity we stand. Divided we shall fall. What more is there to say....nice photos!!! |
Tesito
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 20:41:52
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Senegambia did you oversight these;
"ONE GAMBIA ONE PEOPLE ONE DESTINY"
NATIONAL DUTY AND NATION FIRST ABOVE PARTISAN AGENDA/INTERESTS
IS THE SPIRIT OF NATIONAL UNITY, PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY
FOR A COMMON GOAL
TOWARDS THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL
AND THE COMMON GROUND FOR 2011
BEING THE EXPECTATIONS FROM ALL OPPONENTS
FOR A UNITED NATIONAL FRONT! |
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Senegambia
175 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 21:33:26
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| No Kobo I did not. With due respect to the authors, any one can sit down and write nice words. So don't get carried away my friend. |
Tesito
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Edited by - Senegambia on 31 Oct 2011 23:24:57 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2011 : 22:59:30
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"ONE GAMBIA ONE PEOPLE ONE DESTINY"
UNITY IS THE STATE OF BEING ONE!
ONENESS!
THE ABSENCE OF DIVERSITY!
Senegambia. With above, there is no room for individual interest, group of individuals and partisan agenda; isn't it?
Leadership and common platform cause the dis-unity?
On leadership there are two options; for Principal partner being UDP with its leader considered leading contender to automatically lead or convention as proposed? If that was resolved and UDP leader endorsed with consensus, the next hurdle would have been most interesting on fielding his nominations to be flag bearer of united front or UDP presidential candidate?
It is apparent that UDP planned to entrenched itself through UDP Party-led position supported by its party manifesto; without any resolutions accommodating a united front or grand coalition; putting other political parties in suspense, alienated and temporary defunct; if they don't field a candidate under its party name or through "merger of political parties"?
The MOU is clear, fairness, transparency of plot and sense of direction of united front manifested 
SO NATIONAL DUTY AND NATION FIRST ABOVE PARTISAN AGENDA/INTERESTS; IN SPIRIT OF NATIONAL UNITY, PARTNERSHIP AND SOLIDARITY GUIDE US TOWARDS THE COMMON GOOD!  |
Edited by - kobo on 31 Oct 2011 23:20:17 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2011 : 23:41:04
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RELATED BANTABA TOPICS;
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Edited by - kobo on 02 Nov 2011 23:42:05 |
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