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by Alagie Saidy Barrow
When the results were announced, I came out first defeating all my opponents. Unfortunately, I didn’t have more than 50% to be able to become president. But my victory was quite a feat. I was one step closer to the seat of power. I could smell the afra at State House already. I felt presidential. People literally worshipped me! Sang my praises. Some who claimed to hate me suddenly showed me love. Some people that belong to my opposition called me in secret because they want to be part of my team now! We want to work for you they told me. I felt on top of the world!
My campaign manager told me not to be the first to small parties that lost to me. They need me more than I need them. We needed to form a coalition in order to win a majority. I just need one or two small parties to join with mine and I will become president.
Two days later, the calls started coming in! Almost all the other party leaders wanted to work with me. I invited them for meetings on the modalities. We agreed on their demands. All of them wanted to be ministers. They wanted positions for their close associates and some family members. Some wanted to sit on certain boards. They gave me a list of names and told me those individuals worked hard for their party but will now work even harder for me. I promised them I would give them all positions in government. I need loyal people in key positions. They don’t have to be competent if those working under them are competent.
I was surprised when some from my opposition paid me a visit to offer solidarity. Some of them were my harshest critics. They attacked everything I did. There wasn’t a name they didn’t call me. I could never do anything right in their eyes. And after the promise of a position, it was as if night suddenly turned to day! They defended everything I did. They supported every move I made. They insisted on context in their previously held positions against me. I was amazed by their fickleness. But then I realized they were not unlike many of us, we defend interests and not principles. How can I trust these people I wondered to myself many a time!
But I still worked with them. To win in my country, you have to accept anyone! Even those that supported evil or actually led the commission of evil. I realized that some of my backers were also backing my opponents. Duplicity and hypocrisy seemed to be values we aspired to.
I formed a coalition with other fringe parties. My condition was that I will be the leader of the coalition and we all agreed. I was told I am the most suitable. Even if I was not the best qualified. Theirs was that as long as I make them ministers and give their associates some high government positions, they’ll be behind me. We agreed and went into elections again! I won… I was declared president of the country! That night everyone that was promised something was at my house. We were celebrating but we wanted to keep an eye on each other because they didn’t trust me. I don’t trust them either. Our association was built on interest and not principles! It was bound to collapse! But I needed them because we were headed to parliamentary elections. I needed them just a little bit longer. We could not agree on the way forward for the parliamentary elections. There was an impasse.
I called a meeting and called Yaya Jammeh to help us with our impasse. I told him to call into that meeting and offer advise on the way forward… on the day of the meeting between me and coalition partners, Yaya Jammeh called in and told us ….
Source: Culled from Alagie Saidy Barrow’s page