“Halifa Sallah Calls Out Barrow’s Ministers As He Exposes Plans To Reintroduce Another Dictatorship!”
Apparent this “dictatorship” will come about because Barrow’s Executive is supporting certain party candidates for the Parliamentary Elections!
That argument is completely nonsensical because in every democracy without exception (USA, UK, Europe, India, etc) the Executive support candidates from its party for the Legislature – and the members of the Legislature who belong to the same party as the Executive will be required to support the Executive’s Legislative Programme.
Pa Mbai of freedomnewspaper: “According Mr. Sallah, there cannot be true and functional democracy if the Executive is openly trying to control the narrative at the Legislature. He said the Executive and the Legislature should operate independently”.
Well, according to Mr. Sallah then there is no “true and functional democracy” anywhere in the world!
Mr. Sallah: “This was not why we wanted change. The old government was doing the same thing.”
Well, the old government also murdered its citizens! The “Executive” in democratic UK “openly controls the narrative at the Legislature” – in fact the UK Government is in-charge of “the narrative of the Legislature”, as are all party-based democracies in Europe. Wherever you have a “Ruling Party” that party and its government are in-charge of the Legislative Programme. In the USA, as with Trump, the Executive appoints the Supreme Court and other judges – and even fires 46 public prosecutors appointed by Obama today.
Halifa: “Under the constitution, the Executive in power can fire MPS not serving its interest or toeing to its dictates”.
Yes, Halifa, this is not desirable, as is the appointment of The Speaker by the Executive – from nominated MPs. So, why did you not push for these parts of the Constitution to be changed too? “Nominated MPs” should be abolished and The Speaker should be voted for by Parliament without the involvement of the Executive.
Halifa: “If we have Ministers in this new government trying to prop up MPS, that they can micro-manage or manipulate, then what are they up to? This is contrary to why we wanted change of political leadership.”
Well, Halfa, party-based democracy involves very much the “executive micromanaging” the party in the Legislature. In UK, the Prime Minister calls recalcitrant MPs into her Parliamentary Office one at a time to tell them “vote with the government in this matter or your carrier is over!”. Yep, Halifa, democracy is as brutal as that!
Of course, the Prime Minister will be opposed by the Opposition who then go on to win a majority of MPs in an election and become the government. That is democracy.
Pa Mbai: “Mr. Sallah also sent his critics to the cleaners. He said those spewing false information painting him and the PDOIS as enemies of President Barrow are up to no good. He said the PDOIS will never act against the interest of Gambians and democracy.”
Indeed Halifa, but you have just said that President Barrow’s government wants to bring back “dictatorship”! – just because they want to have a Parliamentary majority in order to be able to govern!!
Halifa: “The PDOIS is not against president Barrow. Those saying Halifa wants to use the House to fight Barrow, are just afraid of the truth. If they believe in the truth, they shouldn’t be afraid of Halifa or the PDOIS. Now it is evident that their primary goal is to have a House that they can control. That’s against the principles of separation of powers,”
Well Halifa, ALL democratic governments want “a Legislature” the Ruling Party and its President can control. Tell me if the USA, UK, Europe or India are any different!
In conclusion: “Separation of Powers” between the Legislature and the Executive does not exist anywhere under a party-based democracy. It is incorrect and sensationalist to accuse Barrow and his party of “wanting to introduce a dictatorship” just because Barrow and his ministers are campaigning for a Parliamentary Majority. Halifa can only have a truly “independent” Legislature if he can put together a majority of MPs opposed to Barrow’s Government – in which case Parliament can impeach Barrow and make Halifa (the “independent” Speaker) the President!
Ends
Garbage. You missed the point.
Who exactly missed the point?
The laymen though are followers need an enlightenment. Who is it dumped in the garbage?
Stop comparing the Gambia with the United Kingdom and then make false generalizations.
The United Kingdom have a parliamentary democracy and the Gambia have an Executive Presidency.
Democracy is not party-based. It is representative. Party-based politics is within this representative domain.
People can represent their constituents in a democracy without belonging to a political party.
Even in the United States where you have a two-party system Senators and Congressmen can represent their constituents without belonging to any party.
People have the option to register as Independents. They may choose to caucus with either party when elected.
The notion is advanced that a coalition can only be led by a political party that has the majority, and this is falsely assumed that a party-led coalition is the norm, the convention, that is universally accepted everywhere in the world. This theory has been debunked. We have witnessed in the Gambia a non-party led coalition.
People have also propagated the notion that a primary or convention cannot happen between different political parties. This is not the norm or convention practiced anywhere in the world they argued.
Well, it has happened in the Gambia. I guess we are now pacesetters. So please stop this generalization that “it is the norm everywhere in the world.”