DECEMBER 1st: COALITION 2016. A tale of hope, despair, sacrifice, patriotism,betrayal, heroism and deceit: "You cannot go through REALITY to come to TRUTH; you must understand the limitations of reality, which is the whole process of thought". J. Kristnamurti, in his epic conversation with Dr David Bohm. The book Truth and Actuality. Kristnamurti was right. Truth and falsehood has always been engaged in an eternal struggle with each other, each is worried of the other, yet they both take solace in the seed they planted in man for the greater control, influence and impact. While truth is a pathless land. Its struggle with falsehood are always embedded in both our subconscious and conscious minds, which in many times causes confusion, more misery and a great deal of sufferings to our consciousness as human beings. Gambians went to the polls on December 1st 2016, to make a date with destiny. Our choices, fate and ethos were no more clearer and distinct that it is CHANGE we embrace and indeed a change we've delivered. The echos of those voices were heard loud and clear throughout the globe and thus a pace is set that brutes and vicious tyrants can be taken heads on and being booted out without a drop of blood. Yes! December 2016 is history but Coalition2016 is still yet to be one. We still living our Coalition2016, a tag that some will be carrying with guilt, others with honour amd dignity. This was a day that was marked with a sigh of relief from our collective suffering, the human tragedy, premeditated social engineering of our people and monumental government failure to deliver the promise of dignified life worth living. All this malfeasance has left a great deal of scars from those wounds, which will take ages to be healed.

To this unfortunate circumstances, Gambians chose a daring path to freedom, defy all odds and pull a well cherished but yet a surprising victory. The world was stunned for how can a small country with a population of less than 2 million coalesced to boot out dictator, who doesn't only have the state machinery at his disposals but every other thing in the land is at his beck and call. This only proves the saying that might is not always right but right is always might. Coalition2016 was a national crusade, which begins with a multifaceted political WILL, brought together political parties, institutions, individuals both home and abroad as partners, Diasporas, civil society groups, activists, security personnel, civil servants, private businessmen and women, and above all the sovereign citizens of our dear land THE GAMBIA.

A crusade born out of necessity and patriotism, quickly swirled wild across the length and breadth the country with such a meagre resources against a power be that has the entire state machinery at his disposal. This goes to say that collective will of the people can move any mountain. The resilience of the people that ensued, compounded and fortified in victory when it was about to be stolen away from them. To this gallantry stand of our people I SALUTE YOU ALL. Today a nation is grateful not to any individuals, party or candidate, but to the collective WILL of our people to deliver us that air of freedom we all cherished again. I however acknowledged the efforts of all the six political parties and an independent candidate, donors and sponsors, GDC and their candidate for making the contest a three horse race, which of course is the catalyst of our victory. We must equally acknowledged the fact that our success at the polls was never the making of any one person or party but the collective strength of all partners. In the midst of the euphoria of our new found hope, joy, happiness, renewed believe in nationhood and a promise of a new beginning, there comes the IMPASSE. The Treachery, conspiracy, betrayals, deceit, egoism, and greed that ensued after the impasse is what certainly short-lived our merriest and never the impasse itself. A time that is meant to carve a new way out of our near eternal predicament, is hereby engulfed us into another unfortunate struggle. This time a struggle for dominance, control, influence and self re-positioning of the individuals and their political entities. I guess this was equally a part of the date we chose with destiny. As sad as it may be, we as people are more determined than ever before to protect our gains and further bettered our democracy. Destiny is not for the comfort seekers; they say. Destiny is for the daring and determined ones, those that are willing to endure some discomfort, delay gratification and go where destiny leads. This is the path Gambians chose and there is no turning back. Yes a new dispensation is in place but to say a new Gambia is born, best qualifies a myth in those comic books. However we as people chose to put an end to an era and as such we should be set to work and never lived to glorify the past. The future is what counts.

The preoccupation of progressive people and their societies is never to stay in their present but rather what are they preparing for the future, our future, the future of the generation yet unborn. These are the challenges of our time, its not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives but rather what we do consistently. Therefore, we must not continue to duel in the past and be judging each day by the harvest we reap, but by the seeds we sow for our future. If we do we shall be unknowingly creating many Yahya Jammehs to come as one cannot think crooked and walk straight. Unfortunately this is exactly the path some people and their parties chose. This makes me wonder how can one set out to destroy the tool that gets you the job done. This beats any logic, if not for greed for power, bloated egos and grave hunger for dominance and control. To this UDP and their leadership must be apportioned the highest blame and responsibility for the role they've played in openly chastising, and total desecration of the greatest political strategy that get us the job done which eludes us for 22 years. Hope is our greatest tool for recovery and as people, we do hung on to the console of hope and comfort of time to nurture our democracy in a bid to perfect our union as a nation of one people. This is my "Buurey ning butut" and if you cannot swallow it, better brace yourself for part 2,3 or even 4 before the FINALE. The last i checked I didn't sought for anyones VALIDATION, so keep your "Nonkong ning nyeta" to yourself. Rendez vous for Part ii, iii, iv and the finale RIP COALITION BUBA MBAYE BOJANG. 

Editors note: Views expressed here are those of the author and does not necessarily represent the views and position of Gunjur News Online.