Hon Halifa Sallah , Harona Drammeh and Dr Ismalia Ceesay
By Muhammed Teks Tekanyi
New York
Yesterday, August fourth twenty twenty-one marked a very historic day in the history of Gambian politics
— the beginning of a long awaited beginning.
From what started as a video commentary by Dr Ismaila Ceesay, Presidential Candidate of the Citizens’ Alliance Party on the collective failures of the C2016 partners in fulfilling the promises they made as a group to the rebuttal by Mr Kexx Sanneh, a militant of the PDOIS Party with the argument of the failures being individual and rather than collective in responsibility, a can of worms was opened. Not worms that bite but those meant to reproduce the kind of political exchanges many Gambians have long been singing for — the substitution of the benachin and profanity and personality attack politics with the most valuable and progressive politics of exchanging ideas on the policies and programs of political parties while arguing on their merits and demerits with the quest of winning the trust of the voters during elections.
In responding to Kexx’s rebuttal, Dr extended a challenge for a debate at first with Mr Sanneh but later changed request for Hon Halifa Sallah who like him, is a Presidential Candidate but for the PDOIS.
The stage was then set for the clash between the budding politician of the younger generation of Gambian politics
— Dr Ismaila Ceesay and the Architect-In-Chief of C2016 — Hon Sallah. It was well hosted by the Proprietor of Paradise TV, Mr Haruna Drammeh and well punctuated by a cross section of enthusiastic Gambians who witnessed the intellectual exchange of ideas on the successes and failures of coalition 2016 (C2016) as well as arguements on the policies and programs of the respective parties being represented on the debate stage.
It was indeed Gambia that won but the two gentlemen deserve great commendations; Dr Ceesay for shouldering the courage of challenging on an intellectual platform, someone, that many especially the youthful Gambians, consider as the untouchable on the current political terrain of The Gambia and of course the right honorable Halifa Sallah – a fellow I personally see as a political mentor and the current encyclopedia of Gambian politics — for allowing the nation particularly the young to benefit yet again from his wealth of political knowledge.
However, I was privileged to ask questions during the debate as stated below and includes my post debate follow up of the answers provided to my questions.
…
Good evening
For Hon Sallah:
There’s no doubt that the coalition 2016 registered a number of succeses which included regime change. However, should/can an individual partner of the coalition 2016 in this case the PDOIS take the glory of authoring those successes while abdicating responsibility for its failures?
If yes, why and if no, why?
For Dr Ceesay:
Like you, I am a firm believer of the principles of collective responsibility in a group’s commissions and omissions during the course of executing its responsibilities. Differently, in further dissecting the cause(s) of a problem for meaningful lessons to be learned, recognition must be made on who championed the failures that are been registered for the purpose of self evaluation. In the case of coalition 2016, who do you think should be the champion and why?
A brief follow up of the Questions & Answers:
Hon Sallah escaped the bait I laid for him in my question yesterday and so did Dr Ceesay cuz they both didn’t answer my questions adequately.
One (Hon Sallah) invested time on advancing the principles of individual responsibilities and justified it by his absence in government which is true but ignored those of collective responsibilities which was inaccurate to do.
~ a part of the team only during wins even when I do not play but not a member of the team during loses even when my absence is only due to injury.
The other (Dr Ceesay) labored on the issues of collective responsibilities again true but refused to acknowledge the fact that there’s as well individual responsibilities that need to addressed.
~ acknowledging that the team lost but ignoring the fact that it lost cuz of a missed penalty by Teks.
In my opinion, Hon Sallah refused to accept the fact that it is literally a coalition government that is still in place regardless of its current technicalities while Dr Ceesay on the other hand, believes in treating the government as a coalition government for its failures but forgot the very important fact that the C2016 technically ceased on the formation of the tactical alliance.
Therefore, I would have loved Hon Sallah admitting that all members of the coalition whether never in the executive, sacked or still part of the executive are indirectly or directly responsibility for both the successes and missteps of C2016 and its government until it ceases to be legally functional by either a termination or a change to an NPP government through elections on Dec 4th 2021. And for Dr Ceesay, it was good in him outlining the collective failures of C2016 but that cannot be enough if the members of the tactical alliance aren’t called out as the architects of C2016’s failures.
Some Questions for followers:
To those on Hon Sallah’s side, why is it right to convict Yanks Touray in the murder case of uncle Koro, forget about his TRRC experience?
And to those on Dr Ceesay’s sides, why wouldn’t it be enough justice served in the absence of the conviction of Alagie Kanyi and Edward & Peter Singhatey as prime suspects?
Thank you for following!
Muhammed Teks Tekanyi
New York