KAYJATTA
The Gambia is poised for its version of the Tunisian-style "Jasmine Revolution" that emerged in Tunisia knocking down or severely shaking up long-time dictators in North African Middle East-Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria; and threatening monarchs in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan.
Following the violent uprisings in the Arab world, many proponents of democracy in Black Africa have called for similar uprisings in their various countries that are under the deadly grip of perennial tyrants.
The Gambia seems to be one of such countries. Since the junior-officer coup of 1994, the Gambia has been painfully struggling under the oppressive regime of Chairman Jammeh.
The popular uprisings in the Arab world and the overnight fall of strongmen like Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Ben Ali of Tunisia, and the slow but certain fall and capture of Moamar Qaddaff-who until now has been referred to as the "King of African Kings"- served as a rude awakening for all the other dictators in Africa and the Arabian penninsula.
Some dictators, in anticipation of revolts, have taken pre-emptive steps to appease their populations by offering political and economic reforms. Jordan, Bahrain, and the intransigent Saudi Arabia have all offered economic and political concessions.
Similarly, the Gambia's president, Chairman Jammeh who has now metamorphosed into a "Sheikh Professor Doctor Alhagie Yahya A.J.J Jammeh Nasirul Deem"; apparently scared of his own fate has quickly appointed a press secretary (Fatou Camara-a professional journalist) and called a friendly consultation with his long-time enemyl, the press. In that consultative meeting with the press, Jammeh promised reforms but insisted he will not compromise national security. President Jammeh also insisted that he wasn't "moved by the revolts in Libya", grudgingly referring to the wave of anti-dictatorship uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Jammeh, a student of Qaddaffi and J.J. Rawlings is obviously worried and dis-illusioned (as revealed by his body language and mannerisms) after witnessing the disgraceful fall of his masters and their revolutionary ideologies.
I have to say that ,after listening to Jammeh's concerns (about press freedom and democracy), he is subsumed in fear and lack of proper guidance. The best way to ensure national security is thorugh democracy and freedoms; the president needs to understand that. When people have a legitimate peaceful avenue to express themselves and be heard, they are not likely to resort to violent means of voicing their concerns. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, etc all have stifled legitimate means of political expression for decades.
Also the president needs to understand the dichotomy between "Jammeh-the-person" and "Jammeh-the-president". As president, he is a public servant and therefore must surrender some of his individual rights. Libel and sedition do not apply to public officials, unless "actual malice" is proven. Jammeh must not take criticism personally. The criticisms he is often so upset about are not about him as a person; they are about the presidency.
I would also like to mention that Jammeh's attack on the West again is his usual excuse for his routine clamp down on freedoms in the Gambia. His allegation that " people go to jail in America for denying the holocaust" is false and lacking evidence.
In his essay, The Leviathan, Hobbs depicts a ruler- a benevolent dictator who would throw biscuits to hungry children by day, but murder his opponents in cold blood by night. But that was only Hobbs argument against Rousseau's "state of nature" where "man was born free" and now "everywhere he is in chains".
Freedom in the Gambia is not likely to come from Jammeh. By political design, the executive is not often the protector of freedoms. Freedom hinders the operation of many executive branches. Freedom in the Gambia has to come from the courts. That is the story of the United States. That is the story of many great democracies. This however will not happen in the Gambia unless the courts start applying the concept of judicial review and assert their independence from the executive.
The past weeks, since the announcement of the date for "Balangba"(a popular uprising in the Gambia), President Jammeh has apart from reaching out to the media, sponsored over a million dalasis "Quranic memorization" contest, personally sponsored two patients for overseas treatment, and announced tens of millions of dollars of job-creation projects. Now the "Zoom Festival" is announced in the Gambia, scheduled for the March 25th just a day before the mass protests planned to oust the President from office. It looks like the "Zoom Fest", which will feature local and international music stars, will kill or seriously derail "Balangba".
The Gambians, like many oppressed people, will likely prefer to party than to protest.
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