OP

By Pa Louis Sambou   Commissioned to “ create an impartial historical record of violations and abuses of human rights from July 1994 to January 2017..., establish and make known the fate or whereabouts of disappeared victims, provide victims an opportunity to relate their own accounts of the violations and abuses suffered and, grant reparations to victims...”,  the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) carries an enormously heavy burden on its shoulders. With a duty so fundamentally salient, it isn’t controversial at all to say that it is one which must be discharged with due care and skill and with a degree of moderation which doesn’t give the impression of a deviation from the TRRC’s raison d’être — whether perceived or real. It’ll be hard to disagree that the TRRC’s reaffirmation of the orthodox briefed wisdom in relation to Coup d’tats is in harmonious sync with this statutory duty and expectation. However, this isn’t to say that such orthodoxy isn’t due a ...

  By Pa Louis Sambou   I can imagine very few people being opposed to Diaspora enfranchisement, something which appeared to have been a dirty word in the vocabulary of the previous government. With the current administration, hooray here it comes! Is this really the case or, perhaps naïve optimism? Given the circumstances, I guess it’s safe to assume that the answer lies somewhere in-between.    The Diaspora in 2016 accounted for over  22% of The Gambia’s GDP  which in cash terms is reported to be  $205.6 million and steadily rising to $226.7 million in 2017, $277.9 million in 2018 and $318.5 million in 2019 . The economic contribution of this ‘off-shore’ citizenry dwarfs that of key sectors such as  Agriculture, Industry  and even  Tourism  all of which individually account for much less. In light of these facts one could reasonably argue that the economic case for Diaspora enfranchisement is made out, something which convincingly ...

By Pa Louis Sambou    General public discourse has for sometime regularly featured the subject of the UDP Secretary General, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe’s eligibility to run for the Presidency under the existing Constitution. The public interest in this particular subject has since been exacerbated following the voting down of the now historical draft Constitution whose section 94(1)(d) was designed to put this very issue to rest. However, as it turned out, the draft Constitution was ironically put to rest instead — rendered ‘dead’ as “reform pessimists” (according to Justice Jallow) would say or, in a ‘coma’ as reform fantasists steadfastly believe.     Never-mind which of the above metaphoric characterisations is a more fashionable description of the status of the much discredited framework, what’s clear is, as per section 22(1) of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) Act, the CRC stands dissolved as of 22 October 2020 and by default bringing to an end the le...

Rejoinder: ‘Christians’ complaints over draft should be taken seriously’   By Pa Louis Sambou  Having come across the above captioned article which was published on  Standard newspaper on 12 October 2020 , I have reason to address a few fundamental inaccuracies, inaccuracies which I shall interrogate in the full knowledge that I will yet again attract more pathetic allegations from fellow citizens of “inventing prejudice”, fellow citizens some of whom unfortunately and ironically self – identify as ‘human rights’ activists. I never thought I’d ever have to say this but, the uncomfortable truth is, the spectacular unveiling of closet bigots among us (Gambians) is about the only good thing to show for the over D116 million investment on the now historical draft Constitution.    The article in question quoted Mr Mai Fatty as having said that:    “There is no provision in the draft Constitution that legally compels, mandates or subjects non-Muslims to shar...