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Momodou
Denmark
11723 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Feb 2006 : 02:28:20
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INTERVIEW WITH HALIFA SALLAH
On Independence And The Spirit Of National Reconciliation
Foroyaa: We admit that we are yet to publish the whole interview we had with you the last time, especially the issues regarding the mayors and council elections. They can be published later. What is of concern to people are the events after President Obasanjo's visit. Now that Gambia is commemorating its 41st anniversary of political Independence can you tell us what is different this year?
Halifa: An independent country can be a by product of historical accident. On the other hand, an independent country is born when a people are conscious of their territorial integrity and its rights to sovereign existence. In the first instance there are all the attributes of an independent country, that is, a head of state, a national government, national flag, national anthem, a capital and power to enter into foreign relations with other government and corporate bodies. However the people remain ignorant and poor and play no part in shaping the destiny of their country. They simply exist as objects in the historical process to serve those at the helm of state instead of being the true architects of their destiny. They simply become the raw material for the underdevelopment of states rather than the powerful intellectual and social engine that drives their development. The quality of independence of a country is determined by the quality of life of its citizenry and residents. No nation can be considered to be truly in line with the objectives of independence it its citizenry are ignorant and poor. This is why every anniversary should be a time for reflection on how far we have gone to eradicate the poverty of the mind, body and spirit. The spirit of independence is genuine love of country and people. This enables leaders to hold the people in high esteem irrespective of their individual characteristics and always place their interest at the front of all his/her concerns. It enables leaders to subordinate their individual selfish interest to the dictates of the collective interest of the people.
Foroyaa: How far has Gambia gone is fighting the poverty of body, mind and spirit?
Halifa: This is the time for every Gambia, irrespective of party affiliation or personal vocation, or striving, to sit down and pass one's own judgment on the state of affairs of the citizenry. Once this is done in the spirit of identifying our shortcomings and our collective strengths to move forward to overcome them, the anniversary would have served what should be its fundamental objectives. Since we are commemorating our 41st anniversary I would like to concentrate on what is different this year rather than give an objective analysis of the state of the country.
Foroyaa: What is different?
Halifa: Gambians are feeling a sense of ownership of their home land. The sovereign Gambian who is conscious of his/her equality to his/her compatriots has been borne. This is precisely why each in demanding for justice to guide all our actions towards the common good. There is also an increase in the development of the consciousness of a common destiny.
This is why the visit of the President of Nigeria was so crucial. Instead of reducing the commemoration to partisan conflicts it has enabled Gambians to dedicate ourselves to the principle of unity, irrespective of diversity in they political objectives, as enshrined in the National anthem. I expect that the spirit of reconciliation left by President Obasanjo will permeate all speeches made during the celebrations.
Foroyaa: How do you think times spirit of reconciliation is to be enhanced?
Halifa: I would have expected the President to utilize the 41st anniversary to broaden the reconciliation process. This could be done by looking at the case of the mayors as well as the situation of those imprisoned with a view to granting pardon to many on a progressive basis. People in exile can be granted amnesty where it applies. Anniversaries are occasions when magnanimity is shown to restore the spirit of reconciliation. The President needs an advisory committee to look at all aspects of governance so that on occasions like this the common good can be promoted to foster unity, freedom and peace in our home land?
Foroyaa: Can you give us a brief analysis of the type of government which existed in the Gambia in 1965 and the quality of our Independence since then?
Halifa: The Gambia went through eight distinct evolutionary stages. The first stage is the precolonial period when states and communities became linked either by cooperation or confrontation and finally merged into a single territory when the colonialists came up with their blue print on how to impose their sovereignty on the territory now known as The Gambia in 1902. The struggles ranged from 1850-1901.
The second phase is the early postcolonial period, which lasted up to 1920 when colonialism was consolidated. Inhabitants of the territory identified as the Gambia became British subjects and citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. At this point, there was no sovereign Gambia territory occupied by a sovereign Gambian people. Gambia was under the sovereign authority of the British Crown and those born in the Gambia were British subjects and not Gambians, as we know them today.
The third phase started from 1920-1930, which marked the period of struggle for the right to self-determination and representation at the local levels. This culminated with the introduction of the elective principle to fill seats in the Bathurst Urban District Council and Board of Health.
The fourth phase stretched form 1930-1947 when the struggle for an elected majority in the Urban District Council, which started with the appointed members constituting the majority, and for the elective principle to be introduced in filling seats in the Legislative Council whose members were appointed. They also struggled for African representation in the Executive Council. It was in 1946 that the law provided for an elected majority in the Council for Banjul, then Bathurst. One seat was provided in the Legislative Council to be filled by 1947. The first person to be elected in the Legislative Council was Mr. Edward Francis Small.
The fifth phase ranged from 1947-1960 during which the struggle for an increased number of elected members in the Legislative Council and the emergence of multi party politics to fill the seats. This culminated in the introduction of universal suffrage in 1960 when all those who were citizens of the colony and had attained the age of 21 years could vote. A House of Representatives was created in 1960 with 21 seats for elected members and eight seats for District Chiefs. 12 members were to be elected from the protectorate and 7 members from the colony proper, that is, Bathurst and Kombo Saint Mary.
The sixth period is one that ranged from 1960-1965 when the battle for self-determination was linked to demand for internal self-government, which culminated in to the appointment of a Premier and later upgraded to a Prime Minister and the declaration of independence in 1965.
Foroyaa: Can we say Gambia became independent in 1965?
Halifa: It depends on whether we see internal self-government as independence or sovereign existence as independence. The debate is an open one. My view is that the attainment of internal self-government is just one phase of the struggle for independence to attain sovereign existence in the final phase of the political struggle for independence.
Foroyaa: Can you explain what you mean in simple terms?
Halifa: In 1965, Gambians were given the power to elect those who were to govern their country at the level of the Legislature and Cabinet. This is why many concluded that we had attained independence.
However if one looks at the constitutional powers vested in her majority under the 1965 Independence Constitution one would understand that sovereignty still resided in Her Majesty. For example section 32 of the 1965 Constitution stated, “There shall be a Parliament which shall consist of her Majesty and House of Representatives.” The 1965 Constitution further stated that “the executive authority of the Gambia is vested her majesty” It adds that “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution the executive authority of the Gambia may be exercised on behalf of Her Majesty by the Governor General, either directly or through officers subordinate to him.”
Section 63 added, “There shall be a Prime Minster who shall be appointed by the Governor General.”
Section 66 further stated that “the functions of the Cabinet shall be to advise the Governor General in the Government to the Gambia and the Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament for any advice given to the Governor General by or under the general authority of the Cabinet.”
Section 70 indicated that “The Prime Minister shall keep the Governor General fully informed concerning the general conduct of the Government of the Gambia and shall furnish the Governor General with such information as he may request with respect to any particular matter relating to the Government of the Gambia.”
Foroyaa: Could the Governor General do anything against the wishes of the Prime Minister?
Halifa: What confirms that sovereignty resided in Her Majesty is the power given to the Governor General to refuse an advice given by the Prime Minister under section 60. It stated that the Governor General may at any time prorogue or dissolve Parliament. Subsection (4) reads: “In the exercise of his powers to dissolve Parliament, the Governor General shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister provided that if the Prime Minister advises a dissolution and the Governor General considers that the Government of The Gambia can be carried on without a dissolution, and that a dissolution would not be in the interest of the Gambia, he may refuse to dissolve Parliament.”
The sovereignty of the country was still limited in 1965.
Foroyaa: Was anything done about this?
Halifa: Of course, a referendum was held to question whether the Gambia people wanted to move to a Republic under which Her Majesty’s executive power would disappear. The referendum did not get the two-thirds majority required.
The referendum to become a republic took place in April 1970. Hence on the 24th April Gambia had a Republican Constitution and became a sovereign Republic.
Hence the seventh phase of our political evolution took place between 1965-1970. This culminated with the founding of the first republic in 1970.
Chapter 1 of the 1970 constitution stated that “The Gambia is a sovereign republic”
Unlike the 1965 Constitution, which vested executive power in Her Majesty, the 1970 constitution vested executive power in President. Section 59 further confirmed that no one could be a Member of Parliament who owes allegiance to any foreign power or state. It reads, among other things, that “No person shall be qualified to be nominated for elections or appointed as a voting member of the House of Representatives if at the date of his/her nomination for elections he or she is by virtue of his (her) own act under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign power or state.”
It is therefore clear that sovereign status was achieved by the Gambia in 1970.
The coup d’etat of 22nd July 1994 put an end to the life of the First Republic. From 1994 to 1997 sovereignty resided in the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council. The Gambia ceased to be a Republic with a government that derived its authority from the will of the people. The transition culminated in constitutional reform. One of the major recommendations I made in my Memorandum to the Constitutional Review Commission is to improve on Chapter 1 of the 1970 Constitution. It simply stated that The Gambia is a sovereign republic but it did not indicate what sovereignty meant and in whom it actually resided.
Foroyaa: Has the 1997 constitution addressed this issue?
Halifa: The eighth distinct period in our political evolution is from 1994 to 1997, when the second Republic came into being.
Chapter 1, section 2 did declare that The Gambia is a sovereign Republic. However subsection (2) further adds that “The sovereignty of the Gambia resides in the people of the Gambia from whom all organs of government derive their authority and in whose name and for whose welfare and prosperity the powers of government are to be exercised”
It is abundantly clear that republican status means that power belongs to the people and that government representatives are mere trustees of the power of the people. They should exercise the power enlisted to them to promote the liberty, dignity and prosperity of the people
Foroyaa: Do you wish to draw any lesson regarding the commemoration of the 41st anniversary?
Halifa: The commemoration should remind every Gambia that he or she is an equal shareholder of the common property we call The Gambia. All political leaders in power or waiting to be alternatives should also recognize that elected political leaders are mere trustees of the power of the people. They must be ready to utilize the power entrusted to them to promote the liberty, dignity and prosperity of the people and the battle for 21st century Africa is a battle for the dignity of the human person, democracy and development. If the commemoration reminds us of our duty to our generation, our children and our children’s children, then it is worth the while.
Foroyaa: Now, let us proceed to NADD. Have you selected a flag bearer as promised?
Halifa: The agenda was two fold - NADD’s integrity and the selection of a flag bearer. The Executive Committee members comprising those who were originally representing the various parties were present. The discussion regarding NADD’s integrity centred on four fundamental issues, that is:
(a) Can a party be a member of NADD while promoting its individual interest at the expense of NADD?
(b) Can a party remain a member of NADD while criticizing other member parties of NADD on a party political platform?
(c) Can a party remain a member of NADD while declaring an alliance with another party in parallel to NADD?
(d) Can a party remain a member of NADD while endorsing the candidature of another party other than the flag bearer of NADD?
These issues were discussed thoroughly. Suggestion was given for an adjournment for further consultation by a party before final decisions are taken. The issue of flag bearer is to be dealt with in a conducive manner by the next meeting, which should take place by the end of the week.
Foroyaa: Will the public not accuse you of dragging your feet?
Halifa: There are many accusations and counter accusations. What is important is to differentiate those who are arguing for the sake of the national interest and those who are doing so for personal or partisan interest. In my view, to be a flag bearer of NADD should not be any person’s personal goal or ambition. The position should be seen as a duty to be performed by anyone who is called upon to assume it. Those who truly love this country should be advising the leaders to avoid any wrangling and discuss soberly to convince each other of what can enable us to achieve what NADD envisages. All those who spread evil remarks against others should be seen not to have the interest of NADD or the country at heart. This is my view.
Foroyaa: Can we get more information regarding the wrangling you are talking about?
TO BE CONTINUED
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2006 : 03:15:12
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"Gambians are feeling a sense of ownership of their home land. ", Halifa.
Momodou, that statement right there is true, and that is no joke.
Regards,
Dalton. |
"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Momodou
Denmark
11723 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2006 : 22:53:33
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INTERVIEW WITH HALIFA Continued
Foroyaa: Can we get more information regarding the wrangling you are talking about?
Halifa:I don't need to go into that, other papers have carried the stories of personal conflicts between members of the Executive, issues, of distrust claims of some having been bribed to wreck NADD, splits due to hunger for power and so on and so forth.
Foroyaa: Is it not true that the present impasse in selecting a flag bearer is due to a power struggle?
Halifa: I want people to understand that as coordinator my integrity is at stake. I therefore tell people exactly what the state of NADD is nothing is being fabricated to give NADD a good image.
The actual fact is that the impasse is not created by any power struggle. There can be no power struggle within the executive, power struggle constitute the gauging of one group to impose their will on the other.
I have repeatedly said that decision in NADD is made by relying on the principle of unanimity like the five permanent members of the Security Council each group has a veto power. However we have made progress because no group was willing to stand on the way of NADD's progress for fear of losing the confidence of the masses through exposure. The situation of selecting a flag bearer up to the time of doing this interview (22nd February 2006) has reached the stage of developing a criteria and selecting a sub committee to consider the selection of a flag bearer.
The committee has a list of names to be considered on the basis of the criteria. The committee could have done its selection a long time ago. However, the resignation of an executive member whose name was on the list led to attempts to reconcile differences and postponement of the selection process. Since then the NADD Executive has been guided by the desire to call its membership to order as they hold rallies and make remarks that some members consider to be against the MOU, the code of conduct and the spirit of the Alliance. NADD is therefore not being guided by the isolated out bursts of some of its members but by rules and procedures that are stipulated and agreed upon. Suffice it to say, even if a group utilizes its veto power to respect the selection of a flag bearer through consensus power struggle is avoided by holding a primary for the masses to decide.
NADD is not about giving power to leaders to impose their will on each other; on the contrary, it is about giving equal power to its executive members in particular and the people at large to restrain dictatorial and conspiratorial schemes. No body can arrive at leadership in NADD through conspiracy or imposition. Leadership in NADD can only come through popular consent.
Foroyaa: Some have argued that the majority party should lead?
Halifa: The people should be clear about this. Before establishing NADD we have contested four by - elections using a party led approach. We won two and lose two.
After establishing NADD we contested in 6 by elections. We won four and lost 2. The two we have lost, that is Upper Salomn and Nianija were lost in peculiar circumstances. Hence the members of NADD have adequate experiences to compare the results of an individual party led and collective party led or NADD led Alliance.
The public should know and the member of the executive committee should explain that the coordinator was very transparent in telling the representatives of the political parties that they can either establish an individual party led alliance or a united front of all parties by creating an umbrella political entity. It was made clear that if all parties are to support one party and its candidate two years before an election these parties are likely to suspend all their activities in favour of a single party, that this was not realistic, that if this was the type of alliance envisaged then we should suspend the discussion on establishing an alliance until after the second round of voting when a clear lead of an opposition party could be shown; that in the interim each party would continue to build up its base. On the other hand we also reviewed the merit of creating an umbrella party. It was argued that opposition parties emerged not only because of opposition to the regime but were also in apparition to each other. That some people join other opposition parties because of their dissatisfaction with the leadership of other opposition parties; that if we allow one party and its leader to lead others who belong to other opposition parties may not support such a leader. It was however argued that if an umbrella party is created and a transitional programme established all parties will sacrifice their right to seek the mandate for individual leadership and instead surrender to collective leadership through an umbrella party under such a set up, all parties will have equal representation in cabinet, the President will be a transitional figure who will be there only to implement the collective programme and after five years he/she will not enjoy the privileges of incumbency. In short, he will not stand or support any candidate in the next following elections. It was felt that all supporters of any given party will support such a Presidential candidate if he/she has all the attitudes of genuine and reliable leadership and commitment to the collective agenda. The APRC regime amended the constitution and remove the second round of voting. It was therefore clear that division within the opposition would give advantages to the ruling party.
It is good to recall that the Jeshwang ward by election was particularly instructive. There was complete voter apathy on the report of the campaign committee. They indicated how the youths drank green tea and refused to go to vote because of losing confidence in politics. In my view, the establishment of NADD was dictated in one way or the other by common sense, conscience or the National Interest. The alliance is not based on the supremacy of one party over the other but the principle of the sovereign equality of all parties. All parties are to be equal in determining the composition of government and its programme and they will have a level ground to show their individual popularity in the next following election after the transition.
Foroyaa: SOS Bala Jahumpa said that you should resign because you have been unable to keep the Alliance intact?
Halifa: He is entitled to his opinion that is how they see politics. However the enlightened opinion must be based on substantive issues. NADD the Alliance had five parties when it emerged. Up to the point of hold this interview no party has opted out. If Bala reads the memorandum of understanding. The Alliance is considered to come to an end when the majority of its members opt out and decide to kill it. The alliance, therefore exist and the coordinator's work is still effective.
Foroyaa: Are you not discouraged by all that is happening?
Halifa: I can understand and explain what is happening to the people.
I am not in NADD because of the leaders. I am in NADD because of the people. I will be the last to live so that I can write to tell people what gave risk to its end in an honest and clear manner. One thing that I can guarantee you is that no matter what happens NADD is the new form of alliance that will give birth to the type of democracy and political liberation that the African people are yearning for.
Foroyaa: Some people claim that you have agreed not to accept political post as coordinator?
Halifa: I was made a coordinator in Atlanta even though I was the secretary general of a political party and member of the National Assembly. I was coordinator when I stand for NADD and National Assembly member. In terms of the Presidency I have said that it is not a position to be struggled for. My position is that I will not make my self a candidate and I will not refuse any decision to make me a candidate. I am fully committed to the NADD ideal. I am ready to serve whenever duty calls. I am therefore not competing with anyone for a post. I am simply ready not to betray the confidence and trust of those who believe I am best suited to perform the function I believe all members of the NADD executive should hold the same view. We would then make a selection without any conspiracy or enmity. The objective is not to occupy the seat of a President in real terms. It is to promote the doctrine of collective leadership to reconstruct the Country's political life to seek popular mandate on the basis of a party's merit.
Foroyaa: Now do you think NADD will survive?
Halifa: It is left to the executive and the people of the Gambia. The pen of history is dipped in the ink. The future will determine what it will write. We hope we will all be alive to tell the story. I hope it will indicate that those who were accidentally called upon to serve did their duty to their Country in the context of their time.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 15/2006, 27 Feb - 1 March 2006 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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