Seeing the likes of young, energetic, educated and able-bodied youths at the forefront of our politics is more than inspiring. The selection of 31-year-old Talib Ahmed Bensouda as the Kanifing Municipal Council mayoral candidate of the United Democractic Party at the weekend in a free and fair primary means the Gambia’s younger generation is determined to venture in active politics. It also means our people’s confidence in youths is gone above the roof. Active youth participation in Gambian politics – not just as back benchers – has been bothering UDP leader Lawyer Ousainou Darboe who barely addresses a political rally without appealing to the youth to get on board party politics. With the selection of an overachieving youth for the KMC Mayoral contest, Mr. Darboe can now sleep in peace. He was so happy about the high quality of all the KMC mayoral contenders under the UDP ticket. The UDP leader appealed to all party members, particularly its Members of Parliament to vigorously campaign for Talib Bensouda until he becomes victorious on May 1st. Mr. Darboe wants his party to create the likes of Thabo Mbeki and Ceyril Ramaphosa, former and current Presidents of South Africa, respectively, who joined politics very young. We agree with Lawyer Darboe entirely that politics must not be left in the hands of only the elderly people. As Talib Bensouda said in his interview with The Standard Newspaper that “Gambia did not decide for Yahya Jammeh to go, we decided for everything Jammeh represented to go, with the lack of job opportunities and scarcity of everything and in order to ensure we get those things, we have to guide the new democracy to that’. So that is why young people like myself, who have the capacity, was not only looking to be a politician but was encouraging friends to run for parliamentary elections, for councils. Because at the end of the day it’s our future we are fighting for; a better future for ourselves and for our children. This is why I went into politics, to change the Gambia to be a better place.”
Ends
The young man is full of determination.