Madi Jobarteh
First, I wish to commend Alhagie Mamadi Kurang, Aminata Correa, and other PDOIS members who have come out to speak about their party’s governance and leadership challenges. I wish to urge members and supporters of all other political parties to follow suit in addressing their parties’ challenges. This is the only way we will set the stage to transform our country fundamentally.
We must bear in mind that it is political parties that run the country. Political parties generally produce the president, NAMs, mayors, chairpersons, and councilors elected to oversee our governance and development institutions. Hence, the quality of governance of political parties determines the quality of candidates they produce, which in turn determines the quality of the Executive, Legislature, and Local Councils and their performance and, therefore, the quality of the progress or otherwise of the Gambia.
It is an open secret that political parties in this country do not fully uphold and practice internal democratic governance principles. When a political party is not democratic, it cannot deliver democracy and good governance when it assumes power at both the national and local levels. Since its independence, this has been a tragedy for the country, undermining its governance and development. Good or bad governance, accountability, or corruption do not drop from the sky. Instead, they manifest the individuals, systems, structures, and values in a party and government.
Since its inception in 1959, Sir Dawda Jawara was the uninterrupted head of the PPP until 1994, i.e., 35 years. The same applies to NCP, which was led by Sheriff Dibba from inception in 1975 until his demise in 2008 without interruption. Since its founding in 1986, Halifa Sallah and Sidia Jatta have been the Secretary-General and Party Chair of PDOIS, respectively, until today, 39 years later, without interruption. Ousainou Darboe has been the uninterrupted leader of the UDP from 1996 to date, i.e., for 29 years. Hamat Bah has been leading the NRP since 1996 without interruption. Mai Ahmad Fatty has been the uninterrupted head of GMC for 16 years. Henry Gomez has been the continuous head of GPDP for 19 years and counting. The same applies to Mamma Kandeh, who has been leading GDC since its inception nine years ago without interruption. The list continues. This is not good governance.
All these parties claim to be democratic, with a constitution that allows members to elect their own leaders. Yet, the same man will be elected in every election as both party leader and flagbearer. This is not a democratic practice. If this is what the constitution provides, then such a constitution needs to be reformed to create a proper democratic dispensation. Not only have these men been leading these parties, but they have also effectively personalized their parties such that they have become synonymous with the name and character of the party.
Therefore, the issues that Alhagie and Aminata have raised about PDOIS are prevalent in all political parties, which is a national malaise. If there should be a system change, it should begin with political parties, without which this country will not make the necessary transformation it so badly needs. The time has come to modernize and democratize political parties if this country is to progress. Political parties are not cults or family affairs. They are not village kafo or a kabilo either.
Section 60 of the Constitution stipulates that only registered political parties can sponsor candidates in public elections. Political parties are national institutions, so there are only two categories of parties: the ruling party and the opposition, known as the ‘government in waiting.’ It behooves all citizens to ensure that political parties operate strictly according to the values and standards of constitutionalism and democracy.
For 22 years, our political parties were preoccupied with fighting a brutal dictatorship. During such periods of the liberation struggle, parties normally lower the democratic bar as they battle dictatorship. But when liberation is achieved, democratic norms and standards should be immediately put in place and upheld. This is what our parties should have done since 2017 but have so far failed to do so.
Thus, today, our political parties need serious restructuring to modernize, democratize, and ensure transparency and accountability. For example, a person holding the position of Secretary General, Party Leader, or Party Chairperson should not become the flagbearer. The Secretary-General or Party leader or Chair should be the chief executive officer overseeing the party’s governance, management, and operations. This means building strategies, tactics, and mechanisms for electioneering, membership recruitment, fundraising, policy development, and ensuring party compliance with electoral laws and democratic norms and standards.
This is how we will institutionalize our political parties to be run by paid professionals at the party headquarters and branches who will engage in communications, legal drafting, research, and documentation and support their politicians and candidates. The Secretary-General, Party Leader, or Chair should not serve beyond one electoral cycle. In this way, such a person cannot become the alpha and omega of the party as we have in all the parties.
Modernizing and democratizing political parties also requires no one to contest a flagbearer for more than two consecutive electoral cycles. Also, positions in the executive committee should be limited in number and based on free, fair, and credible elections, not subjected to horse trading or negotiations. Furthermore, power and decision-making must be decentralized and inclusive, in which youth, women, and persons with disabilities should have a voice and power to influence decisions and leaders.
Parties must ensure they operate transparently by running updated websites and social media platforms and proactively disclosing decisions and other information to the public. Strangely, there are parties today whose constitutions are challenging to obtain publicly, not to mention their financial reports and other documents.
In a nutshell, we need political parties not in the hands of one or a few leaders to own and control. These leaders are politicians and public servants, and so they should not be above scrutiny. We cannot criticize the Government and the President and his party yet shy away from attacking our parties and their leaders. Therefore, party members should be open, progressive, and not defensive of their parties and leaders.
The time has come for system change in our political parties. To start, those leaders who have been heading their parties for at least five years should all step down at the next party congress.
