By: Mariama Njie
Essa Njie, a political scientist and lecturer, has said that education and sensitization will help solve already polarized Gambian society caused by politics.
Speaking to The Voice Newspaper exclusively, he said: “politics in The Gambia is so polarized due to multi-party system you could see a dominated of each ethnicity in a particular political party which has caused a lot of division among Gambians.”
“The Gambian society is polarized along ethnic lines, it is clearly seen how ethnicity manifested in the recent presidential election. Looking at the polarized Gambian society, it is like multi-party democracy is not helpful, thought we certainly need multi-party democracy. In fact, Gambia has been recognized as one of the leading multi-party democracies in the continent. What we can do to solve the division among Gambians is through educating, creating awareness among the people to let them know that multiparty democracy is to group themselves to political parties based on issues rather than on religious and ethnicity,” he added.
He explained further that Gambians need to unite and understand that multiparty system is not to bring division among themselves but to allow a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
During colonial Africa, he went on, leaders adopted one party system due to many factors such as to avoid polarization among African society and it will be hard to promote national development.
Meanwhile, he urged the re-elected president Adama Barrow to promote unity by creating awareness that will unite Gambians once again because the current political culture cannot lead the country to democratic consolidation.
However, he said the next parliamentary election is happen next April 2021which might open doors for current president to dominate parliament, as the 1997 constitution remains.
