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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 15:51:54
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Foroyaa Editorial
NO EXERCISE OF PREROGATIVE OF MERCY!!
July 22nd CELEBRATION WITHOUT DIFFERENCE!!
Many young able bodied people are incarcerated in our prison system. Some have been detained without speedy justice for many years. Others are serving long prison sentences. FOROYAA has called upon the secretary of state for interior to visit the prisons and identify the problems of the prisoners. We have been asked by some family members of many prisoners what could be done to release some prisoners who had been incarcerated since the first Republic such as Lamin Darboe. We have always explained that section 82 of the constitution has empowered the president to appoint three persons to constitute a committee along with the Attorney General to advise him on how to exercise his prerogative of mercy to free many prisoners from long detention. Under a genuine democratic society, once the press mention some of these things, the President would immediately constitute the committee and grant amnesty or mercy as expected. Is that the case in the Gambia? We give an answer.
However, what we can say is that after 12 years of rule, one expected that President Jammeh will commemorate his July 22nd coup d’etat with a difference. We expected that he will promote a spirit of reconciliation; that as he goes into election, general amnesty would have been given to many, prerogative of mercy exercised to release many prisoners.
Furthermore, the Attorney general and Chief Justice could have co-operated to look into the cases of those who are denied speedy trial. If this happened during the 22nd July anniversary some people may have felt a difference even though coup d’etat should never be commemorated in a 21st Century Africa. The July 22nd anniversary is now history; no prerogative of mercy was exercised.
During the opening prayers, one expected the religions leaders to remind the President of those things he needs to do to promote liberty and tranquility in the country.
Unfortunately some of them were taking a partisan position. This will not help the country. Religious leaders have multi partisan following. Their legitimate role is to give the people who administer the country and their opponents the heart to feel the suffering of the people and encourage them to become resolved in doing what is good. It is not enough for us to talk about peace, we must nurture it will our words and deeds. Hence as the President commemorates his 12 years in office, he could have only made a little difference if he gave general amnesty, visit the prisons to see the number of young people behind bars, soften his heart, exercise prerogative of mercy and promote the spirit of reconciliation rather than the spirit of revenge. Even though the July 22nd anniversary was his best outlet it is not, too late to display a spirit of reconciliation.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 56/2006, 24-26 July, 2006
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