The absence of PDOIS at the Raleigh conference in the weekend of 17th to 19th of May to engage interested Gambians on the way out of the political mess our country is embroiled into was a mistake that must not have happened. PDOIS (People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism), is the one party in the Gambia that since its emergence on our country’s political scene, that have been on the forefront of every single happening of national concern and struggle for the freedom and development of our people. As a result, abstaining to confer with fellow citizens notwithstanding the differences of views and opinions on the modalities to the roadmap for the liberation of our country may be, is not the PDOIS way and must not be repeated. PDOIS never shies away from engaging in the discourse for the way forward for our country and people, singularly because of its clarity of vision and mission to the path to salvage and put our country on the road to development. Therefore, missing out in Raleigh denied the party the chance and opportunity to yet again put forth its views before an interested party.
By missing out in Raleigh PDOIS at least forfeited the public opinion machinery (even if not in the eyes of the local constituents on the ground but to the majority of diaspora Gambians) to those that attended and the many others that around the world that the conference online. Personally, I wanted to go to Raleigh to attend the conference not because I have received an informal email inviting me to the conference, but because of my interest and desire in effecting political change in the Gambia. It is this shared interest alone that had interested me in wanting to go to Raleigh and listen to what others have to say on the way forward and also share mine. But due to semester end exams I could not make it. However, my attendance if it had even materialized would have been on a personal capacity and not on the behalf of PDOIS despite being a member of the party. This is why PDOIS should have been officially represented in Raleigh. The party needed to have been present in order to contribute and help shape public opinion and the direction of the struggle to wrestle power from the dictatorship in Banjul.
PDOIS’ presence in Raleigh could have afforded it the opportunity to clarify issues surrounding its activities and partnership with other parties geared towards bringing about political change. It could have dilated on why the party is willing to engage on a dialogue with the government through a mediator for electoral reforms that will lead to a level political contest in 2016. A PDOIS representative would have also been able to unequivocally diagnose contrary to those agitating for change through violence just as it did in Dakar in response to the Sedia Bayo threat, that political change either through the ballot or the barrel of a gun, needs the full backing of the mass of the people. A PDOIS representative could have elaborated that it is a positive move to have people confer and deliberate on matters geared towards bringing about democracy to their country. And most importantly he/she could have captured the atmosphere of the moment during the conference and helped provide answers to and put forward the available pathways to the conflicting and competing viewpoints that were being touted in Raleigh.
An official representative of PDOIS could have told the conferees that as a people desirous of removing Yaya Jammeh and his APRC from the quadrangle, three options are before them that they needed to make a choice to side with.
First of all, he/she could have commended and advised that the conferees consolidate efforts in building civil society groups interested in bringing about democracy and good governance and the up-holding of it in any future government, to make up for the lack of it locally on the ground. He/she would have then layout the options available to them.
Option 1: the conferees as interested Gambians desirous of democratic change could after coming together as civil society groups partner with the political parties on the ground operating within the Group of six (G-6) to pressure the Jammeh government from all angles to effect electoral reforms. Diaspora civil society groups as partners with the G-6 could collaborate on all matters that needed to be done on the ground and outside of it. As partners seeking reforms each party would work from its locality to exert the needed pressure and do the leg-work to international bodies and individuals willing and able to work with us to reform our electoral program. The G-6 and diaspora civil society bodies could work together change the strategy and tactic of the reform effort when the need arises as well as changing gears and direction when necessary. This will be done within and limited time frame to ensure that the government is not allowed to drag its feet on reforms until elections were due.
The second option that a PDOIS representative could have put before the Raleigh audience is that as Gambians with legitimate democratic rights to participate in the shaping of the destiny of the country if the above option was not good enough for them then they have the other option of doing it their own way by setting up political parties that would sweep the old and existing ones off the political scene or go independent and seek the attention of the people’s hearts and ears.
Thirdly, a PDOIS rep would have put before the conference attendees that if they felt seeking reforms and effecting change through the ballot was not tenable and the way to go, that the road to Banjul and kanilai is broad and wide and that they already have a partner in Sedia Bayoif not many others. Those who want to Duga in Banjul or Kanilai need not seek anybody’s blessing or even announce it in a conference, they just have to go and do their thing while the rest of us also do our thing as we see fit.
But because PDOIS decided to not go to Raleigh it missed this opportunity to help shape the direction of our struggle and especially, help the young and emerging group of interested Gambians in the diaspora to better understand and know the nature and conditions of our struggle for democratization and what needed to be done to arrive at that destination and how. PDOIS also missed out on other matters that it could have clarified had it been present in Raleigh. For instance a PDOIS representative could have been handy to clarify the miss leading statement by Ousainou Darboe the leader of the UDP regarding PDOIS’ readiness for alliance formation with the PPP in 2001. Darboe in trying to justify his party’s handling of the 2001 alliance talks that excluded PDOIS and NRP, in response to claims bordering on those matters by Hamat Bah, said that it was inconceivable for PDOIS and PPP to join the same alliance in 2001. A PDOIS representative could have clarified this erroneous statement that appeared to paint PDOIS in negative light as a party in conflict with the PPP. A PDOIS representative would have recounted how PDOIS was excluded from that 2001 meeting that ended in a UDP-PPP alliance after the NCP walked out following a disagreement. He/she would have also stated that PDOIS was and is not in any form of struggle with the PPP at least since July 1994.
Judging from the above it is incontrovertible to state that PDOIS’ presence in Raleigh even if it was not for its own good politically could not have affected it negatively in any way. Despite my absence in Raleigh I have keenly followed the proceedings thanks to the live broadcast by the online media. I have also been following debates and exchanges on facebook and is aware of some individuals desire to push the existing opposition parties off the political field. But any politically informed Gambian knows very well that they would be mere idle dreamers if they fail to follow through one of the options laid above.
Furthermore, a PDOIS representative could have put before the Raleigh confab that due to its experience in trying to build alliances with other opposition parties over the years since 2001, it is now getting fatigued in going into endless behind the scene talks that end up impacting negatively on its image (at least in the diaspora), as a party laying preconditions before engaging in alliance talks. This erroneous misconception that is being perpetuated by those insisting on the simple arithmetic method of one plus one makes two is in fact what may have held us back in realizing change.
A PDOIS representative in Raleigh may have seized that opportune moment and lay out the party’s ideological stand that informs its mission and vision since its inception. As I listened to the conference broadcast keenly waiting to hear any fundamental shifts to the political discourse of alliance building, I was not surprised when I heard UDP’s Ousainou Darboe reiterating his party’s stance on the now dizzying mantra of the party with the biggest share of votes leading any alliance. A PDOIS representative could have also outlined PDOIS’ stand as one that is not opposed to having a member of the party with the largest following leading an alliance as a candidate, but what it may not do is to have a group of individual sit in a room and work to put him/her into power. That PDOIS wishes to shift that responsibility away from a selected few sitting behind closed doors to the voters who will be responsible to decide who is to lead them against the fight to end tyranny in Banjul. A PDOIS representative could have also stated that PDOIS’ view on alliance building is not based on having all parties clubbed together under one of those parties to help put it to power. A PDOIS rep could have unequivocally stated that PDOIS’ stand on alliance building is one that relies on the collective strength of the allies to effect change not in the name of one of the allies, but on a neutral platform representative of all parties that will govern or put in place if successful, a transitional program of reform and rectification that will usher in a level political field desirous for the building of multi-party democracy and sustainable development.
For the above reason I contend that PDOIS needed to have been present in Raleigh.
End.
PS: Next article will focus on the emerging diaspora conference fever. Why the focus on organizing expensive conferences every now and then when the real fight is in Banjul.