| Author |
 Topic  |
|
kayjatta
2978 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 19:48:16
|
Sister Omega , you are absolutely right that jammeh must be commended for his oustanding performance in infrastructural development. However Jammeh's performance in the human rights area is not all that outstanding. There is a lot of room for improvemnet. Besides that there is an ideal of government that we want to see flourish in the Gambia. We want the executive , the legislature and the judiciary be completely independent of one another by appropriate checks and balances , and that one person must not stay in power for too long. Democracy works best where there is a contest of ideas.
Think about the case of Fatou Jaw Manneh. While I do not completely agree with her views and I certainly would not use the tone of her language , I don't think anyone wins by putting her in jail. The only casualty is Gambian democracy. |
 |
|
|
Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 20:58:39
|
Kayjatta I do agree with you. I do think Human Rights the world over needs to improved and within that context Gambia is no exception. As for Fatou Manneh's case I don't know enough on it to comment on her case can you elaborate on her case further?
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 21 Apr 2007 21:02:26 |
|
|
|
Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 20:58:39
|
Kayjatta I do agree with you. I do think Human Rights the world over needs to improved and within that context Gambia is no exception. As for Fatou Manneh's case I don't know enough on it to comment on her case can you elaborate on her case further?
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 21 Apr 2007 21:02:26 |
|
|
|
kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 21:30:32
|
I cannot elaborate on Fatou jaw manneh's case , it is posted on the internet for all to see.
I do however , believe that the Gambia can be a far better than what it is today despite jammeh's achievements in infrastructural development. I do not think elections can be free and fair in the present conditions in the Gambia , and so the only hope for peaceful change of government is to adopt a term limit to the presidency. this is what will preserve Gambian democracy in the long run , and this is what will save Jammeh and our future presidents from loss of glory and respect. |
|
|
|
kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 21:30:32
|
I cannot elaborate on Fatou jaw manneh's case , it is posted on the internet for all to see.
I do however , believe that the Gambia can be a far better than what it is today despite jammeh's achievements in infrastructural development. I do not think elections can be free and fair in the present conditions in the Gambia , and so the only hope for peaceful change of government is to adopt a term limit to the presidency. this is what will preserve Gambian democracy in the long run , and this is what will save Jammeh and our future presidents from loss of glory and respect. |
|
|
|
Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 22:52:57
|
Presidential limits are normally part aand parcel of a nation's constitution. At present there is no such clause within the Gambian constitution.There is no blanket Presidential or Prime Minister limit across the world, apart from the united states is there any other country that has a Presidential limit? Please enlighten me.
As for Fatou's comments I've read them, I await the jury's verdict.
Peace Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
|
|
|
Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2007 : 22:52:57
|
Presidential limits are normally part aand parcel of a nation's constitution. At present there is no such clause within the Gambian constitution.There is no blanket Presidential or Prime Minister limit across the world, apart from the united states is there any other country that has a Presidential limit? Please enlighten me.
As for Fatou's comments I've read them, I await the jury's verdict.
Peace Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
|
|
|
kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 06:10:52
|
Sister Omega , you are right there is no constitutionally mandated presidential term limit in the Gambia. However , if you look at the discussions (conducted by the National Consultative Committee headed by Dr. Peters in 1995) that led to the creation of the present constitution the Gambian people indicated their desire for a term limit. This was later dropped by the then AFPRC . But that is history; the reality today is that democracy requires that there is a regular change of government through the elctoral process. However , elections have never succeeded in a change of government in the Gambia. Does that ring a bell for you ? There may be no term limit in U.K. also , but the electoral system in the U.K. is so effiecient , free and fair that it is almost impossible for any president to serve beyond two terms. Do you now see that there is something wrong with the Gambian electoral system ?
But to answer your question ,Nigeria had a term limit until Obasanjo tried to reverse it. But the fact that other countries do not have a term limt is no excuse for the Gambia not to have one. We wish well for our country , and we only want to see the best form of governance practised there.
To bring up Fatou's case again , nobody gets arrested for criticising or lampooning the president in the U.S. , and in both the U.S. and the U.K. the preseident's own party members in the legislature often dissent without consequences . In the Gambia such acts are unthinkable ; do you remember the case of Duta Kamaso ?
If Jammeh is good with infrastructural development , it could be that he learned from Jawara's shortcomings (Jawara's human rights record was generally okay but his development priorities were dissastrious), so the next president may learn from Jammeh's and improve on the human rights condition in the Gambia. That is how progress comes about , and that is why governments need to change for new ideas. |
|
|
|
kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 06:10:52
|
Sister Omega , you are right there is no constitutionally mandated presidential term limit in the Gambia. However , if you look at the discussions (conducted by the National Consultative Committee headed by Dr. Peters in 1995) that led to the creation of the present constitution the Gambian people indicated their desire for a term limit. This was later dropped by the then AFPRC . But that is history; the reality today is that democracy requires that there is a regular change of government through the elctoral process. However , elections have never succeeded in a change of government in the Gambia. Does that ring a bell for you ? There may be no term limit in U.K. also , but the electoral system in the U.K. is so effiecient , free and fair that it is almost impossible for any president to serve beyond two terms. Do you now see that there is something wrong with the Gambian electoral system ?
But to answer your question ,Nigeria had a term limit until Obasanjo tried to reverse it. But the fact that other countries do not have a term limt is no excuse for the Gambia not to have one. We wish well for our country , and we only want to see the best form of governance practised there.
To bring up Fatou's case again , nobody gets arrested for criticising or lampooning the president in the U.S. , and in both the U.S. and the U.K. the preseident's own party members in the legislature often dissent without consequences . In the Gambia such acts are unthinkable ; do you remember the case of Duta Kamaso ?
If Jammeh is good with infrastructural development , it could be that he learned from Jawara's shortcomings (Jawara's human rights record was generally okay but his development priorities were dissastrious), so the next president may learn from Jammeh's and improve on the human rights condition in the Gambia. That is how progress comes about , and that is why governments need to change for new ideas. |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 08:18:40
|
Kayjatta, you are 100% correct! Government is a learning process even for the president. The MOST important thing is HUMAN RIGHTS. Everything else comes behind that. That is why i am not a fan of the Gambian president at the moment, however many roads he improves!!   |
|
|
|
gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 08:18:40
|
| Kayjatta, you are 100% correct! Government is a learning process even for the president. The MOST important thing is HUMAN RIGHTS. Everything else comes behind that. That is why i am not a fan of the Gambian president at the moment, however many roads he improves!! |
|
|
|
Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 14:29:08
|
In the shallow skull of Jammeh there is no need to change hands. He believes Gambia was a lost land and now he emerged as founder and saviour. That view is WRONG to the dot. It is not the business of Jammeh to dictate development in Gambia. It is not quite the case that Jawara prioritised Human Rights high above infrastructure development as matter of choice. I am not sure why Jawara was not on the fast track to infrastructure development. Resource constraint could be a possible factor. There was still stable process of governance. Peace was peace in the real sense. In Jammeh's Gambia, there is total break down of system. He is not thinking democratic. He is thinking different from what our democratic values prefer. It is not sensible that Jammeh drops the term limit and now sells his wild dream of staying LIFE PRESIDENT. The more he persists on staying, that stirs up serious trouble for him and the country. Rather than allowing democracy to flourish, Jammeh insists on imposing his brand of whatever he calls it and he wants Gambians to sit, watch, and wait until WHEN? In the process, he is bound to face resistance and that will increase with time. It is not sensible that Jammeh clings to power as life president. Why would he ever conceive deleting the TERM LIMIT? Let's face is flat, nothing works in this way. Jammeh is undemocratic from when he staged the coup that brought him to power. He now wants to destroy the roots of democracy in Gambia. That will not go for now and never in the future for any power hungry person. |
Karamba |
|
|
|
Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 14:29:08
|
In the shallow skull of Jammeh there is no need to change hands. He believes Gambia was a lost land and now he emerged as founder and saviour. That view is WRONG to the dot. It is not the business of Jammeh to dictate development in Gambia. It is not quite the case that Jawara prioritised Human Rights high above infrastructure development as matter of choice. I am not sure why Jawara was not on the fast track to infrastructure development. Resource constraint could be a possible factor. There was still stable process of governance. Peace was peace in the real sense. In Jammeh's Gambia, there is total break down of system. He is not thinking democratic. He is thinking different from what our democratic values prefer. It is not sensible that Jammeh drops the term limit and now sells his wild dream of staying LIFE PRESIDENT. The more he persists on staying, that stirs up serious trouble for him and the country. Rather than allowing democracy to flourish, Jammeh insists on imposing his brand of whatever he calls it and he wants Gambians to sit, watch, and wait until WHEN? In the process, he is bound to face resistance and that will increase with time. It is not sensible that Jammeh clings to power as life president. Why would he ever conceive deleting the TERM LIMIT? Let's face is flat, nothing works in this way. Jammeh is undemocratic from when he staged the coup that brought him to power. He now wants to destroy the roots of democracy in Gambia. That will not go for now and never in the future for any power hungry person. |
Karamba |
|
|
|
ebou4th
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 23 Apr 2007 : 03:00:11
|
| Sister I hope these postings help you understand where some of us stand. While we all commend president Jammeh for infrastructural development (I could not beleive my eyes during my last visit) no one can take these credits away from him. Unlike his record on development, he lacks behind in human rights. One point you need to take in to account is the fact that human rights abuses were not prevelent in the former administration so the current situation is totally new to Gambians. What we are calling for is separation of powers; truly independent legislative and judicial branches of government, a system where there are checks and balances and not a mansa mentality. |
“Revolutions are brought about by men, by men who think as men of action and act as men of thought.”
Kwame Nkrumah
|
|
|
|
ebou4th
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 23 Apr 2007 : 03:00:11
|
| Sister I hope these postings help you understand where some of us stand. While we all commend president Jammeh for infrastructural development (I could not beleive my eyes during my last visit) no one can take these credits away from him. Unlike his record on development, he lacks behind in human rights. One point you need to take in to account is the fact that human rights abuses were not prevelent in the former administration so the current situation is totally new to Gambians. What we are calling for is separation of powers; truly independent legislative and judicial branches of government, a system where there are checks and balances and not a mansa mentality. |
“Revolutions are brought about by men, by men who think as men of action and act as men of thought.”
Kwame Nkrumah
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
