I want to respond to a statement made by the leader of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) published on Freedom Newspaper claiming that “President Barrow’s government is worst than the former Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s regime of terror”.
Mama Kandeh’s statement is not only a dishonest remark but it also exposes a character of a politician who careless about the truth and reality of present Gambian situation. Since the inception of GDC, Gambians have heard many stories and theories about the leadership of the party whose founder was once a formidable player in the APRC political party. Many at the time believed that Mama Kandeh was not interested in change of regime but was actually sponsored by Dictator Yaya Jammeh to divide the opposition coalition and to help Jammeh to victory. Whatever the conspiracy theories may have said about him and his disregard to rule of law and constitution, as a member of National Assembly for ten years during Jammeh dictatorship, Mama Kandeh and his GDC were rejected by Gambian people at the elections. His continued disregard for the constitution, free and fair electoral process and unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud is a testament and character of a man who has no regard for truth, laws and justice which serve as bedrocks for any genuine democratic political leader.
The GDC leader fails to recognize that the current administration has been only four months in office. By every measure or indicator, this regime cannot be compared to Jammeh’s 22 years of military dictatorship characterized by gross human rights violations and economic deterioration. Mr. Kandeh is indeed a political opportunist who will shamelessly say and do anything just to get attention. The leadership of GDC has played critical role in the constitutional entrenchment of military dictatorship in the Gambia. Mr Mama Kandeh is not only a dishonest political opportunist but he is also a disgraced politician who in fact has blood on his hands, for he supported and advocated for the dictatorial policies or laws in the Gambia for ten years. In my previous article entitled “Why GDC Leader can’t Be Trusted,” I have made my case about why Mr Kandeh is not different from Dictator Yaya Jammeh. Here is the link to my article: http://www.kaironews.com/why-gmc-leader-cant-be-trusted/
It is very clear that Mr Kandeh’s comparison of the current administration to Jammeh’s regime of terror is further evidence to indicate that Mr Kandeh is a national disgrace. Since President Barrow was elected, we have seen remarkable changes in political, economic and social development of the Gambian people. Politically, Mr Kandeh himself can freely express his ignorance and unsubstantiated claims without any consequences. It is the beauty of democracy to have constitutional rights to freedom of expression and association which Mr Kandeh helped the former Dictator Yaya jammeh to deny Gambians such basic constitutional rights. Here is a man who has given blind eye to all the atrocities committed under his watch as a National Assembly member for ten years. Mr Kandeh’s comparison of current government to 22 years of military dictatorship is an insult to the intelligence of Gambian people. Today, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and uncles in every major town and small village can go to bed without thinking that their loved ones will be kidnapped during midnight. As we speak, there are number of masked graves which the Gambia police force are working hard to unearth so that victims and their families can have final closure and religiously fitting burials. Mr Kandeh was a very strong supporter of the regime who presided over worst human rights violations, a regime who killed its own people based on simple fact that they expressed different political views.
The question I have for GDC and its leadership, “Do GDC leadership think that Gambian people are stupid enough to go back to 22 years of terror and economic prostitution which Mr Kandeh has built his political career on?
I don’t think so. Therefore, the GDC leadership and surrogates must acknowledge that they must first take personal responsibility for their failures in lack of vision and foresight when they supported and advocated for 22 years of constitutional entrenchment of military dictatorship in The Gambia. Mama Kandeh is a national disgrace who is morally and politically not qualified to lead a decent political party in The Gambia.
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