Updated
May 26, 2003

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The socialists are making their mark in a big way in the Gambian National Assembly even though they are a tiny minority as their party leader tells Desmond Davies

The People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) has only two members in the Gambian National Assembly. In fact, it doubled its parliamentary representation - from one to two - during the last election in 2001. Halifa Sallah, whose victory was responsible for increasing the PDOIS's number of seats in the National Assembly, is now the Minority Leader in the 50-seat House. which is overwhelmingly dominated by the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), the party of President Yahya Jammeh.

. Hallifa Sallah, "No quick fix solutions"

However, it is the other way round when it comes to debates in the house. "Even though we arc in the minority, very few people speak on the other side," Sallah told West Africa. "Clearly, when it comes to the debate in the National Assembly we are constantly contributing. Our contribution is disproportionate to our size. We, therefore, have a lot of influence. The only problem is that there is a lack of public media coverage of National Assembly debates. So Gambians do not get to know what we are doing."

Sallah says that his party has been instrumental in establishing a number of select committees, including that on the environment, of which he is the chairman. This, though, is presenting problems for such a small party because its two members have to serve on all the committees. "This means we have to work a lot harder," Sallah told West Africa. "But out belief is that nothing comes ready made. We have been trying to master the rules and regulations of the National Assembly and after intense struggle, we are beginning to get to grips with them."

In an era in which socialism does not appear to he fashionable, Sallah, who studied sociology in the US, is upbeat about his party's prospects of changing Gambian society along socialist ideals. But he was quick to point out that the PDOIS was not an unreconstructed socialist party. Not for the PDOIS what Sallah termed 'economic adventurism' - that is. wholesale nationalisation. "Essentially, we are talking about co-operative governance. In essence. we see governance throughout the world heading towards this process."

Warming to his theme, Sallah told West Africa. "There have been two types of dogmas which the world has had to deal with. First we had socialism by faith whereby you take the whole productive base of society and concentrate it in the hands of the state, believing that the state will provide everything for the people.

"The second dogma is to believe that the state has no role in the productive base; that countries can he built from thin air. The issue, therefore. is one of the economic, social and political empowerment of the people. The whole concept of development hinges on this: how do you build the capacity of people to contribute efficiently to society?"

Sallah believes that The Gambia is not properly suited yet for the sort of socialism his party envisages. "In our view, it is very clear from the facts that The Gambia has been depending entirely on taxation and loans. The small private sector is incapable of paying the type of corporate taxes necessary to provide services to the people. The local private sector, therefore, needs protection in order to build a competitive edge."

He went on: "The present regime talks about private sector-led growth hut how this should he done has proved elusive. We don't have a private sector providing employment. If that is the ease, there should be initiatives from the public sector to lead this growth. In this regard, the public sector has to be made efficient and dynamic. Financial discipline must be of the utmost importance.

"Our analysis has shown that there is no social linkage between financial institutions and individual or corporate bodies that are investing in the Gambia's productive base. So there is no basis for private sector development of the economy."

Sallah, however, admits that espousing socialism in this day and age has been an uphill task for his party. "We have had to struggle to put our opinions across. But the task really has two dimensions. The first. is how to ensure government for the people, with their consent and in their interest. The second is how to get people involved directly in the administrative life of society. As far as we arc concerned, the two processes should he linked. We have to get people to take ownership of their countries through institutionalisation of the process."

Continuing his argument for change. Sallah said the global economic system was in crisis and that The Gambia was caught tip in this web, noting that the country is one of the Highly-Indebted Poor Countries, "connoting that we can't pay our debts and our debts are unsustainable."

"We are becoming poorer and poorer and cannot afford to consume what is being produced by the developed world. The developed world is producing goods we cannot buy. In that sense, their economies will also be affected so the West will have to realise that the problem of indebtedness and poverty has to be tackled globally.

"In that sense, there are no quick fix solutions. Privatisation is not the answer. We need a realistic appraisal of our economy in particular and the global economy in general and to start implementing economic regeneration programmes. Sallah said.

He added: "The most important aspect of this is the empowerment of the people. True liberation of the people will come through their active participation in the political life of their country, to truly understand what is happening and to find out whether policies are actually serving their interests."

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