By Mathew K Jallow
Over the last twenty years, compelling social, cultural and economic rationales have been floated around to make the case for radical political change, which have successfully erased the toxic political misinformation, inflamed citizens’ passions, and altered the political paradigm in Gambian’s consciousness. But, it wasn’t always easy. Yahya Jammeh’s tyranny has exercised complete control of citizens’ minds, in an endless circle of violence, fear, terror and intimidation, in the process, subdued the nation, and gripped its population in a state of cynicism and despair. In the end, however, Gambians saw Yahya Jammeh for what he is; a walking billboard of reptilian insensitivity and Machiavellian ruthlessness. More recently, Yahya Jammeh’s patently absurd pontification against the evils of tribalism, which shocked Gambians, was a lesson in contradiction, in particular, because he is the very definition and pure embodiment of the dark and dangerous bigotry of tribal preferences. But, the Gambia is rapidly changing society, and anecdotal evidence suggests that the Gambia’s younger generation increasingly perceives the very idea of tribalism as fundamentally appalling, if not, downright, morally degrading. And this year, for the first time in twenty-one years, Gambians, irrespective of tribe, will exercise their patriotic duty to choose their political leader, absent the fear, terror and coercion, which has characterized elections under Yahya Jammeh’s military regime for twenty years. The last two decades have brought out the best in us, but also the very worst, as the relentless struggle for freedom continues to claim citizens’ lives, through the state sanctioned killings, mass incarceration, and citizens exodus to the safety of countries around the globe. But, through it all, one particular group of Gambians has mostly been conspicuously absent from struggle to restore dignity, freedom and the burgeoning democratic experiment, which took shape under the venerable Sir Dawda K Jawara. The majority of the Gambia’s educated class, has, until most recently, manifested shocking resignation to Yahya Jammeh’s cannibalization of the political process, detachment from the slow erosion of human rights, and the passive dismantling of the Gambia’s democratic political system. But with another election season upon the country, the Gambia’s best and brightest; its academics, lawyers, diplomats, bureaucrats, technocrats and other experts, have solidly committed to support the newly established Coalition and its unflappable leader and presidential candidate; Adama Barrow. Read full article