Posted by By Alagi Yorro Jallow
Fatoumatta: A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods which to create an idealized, heroic, and at times worshipful image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Sociologist Max Weber developed a tripartite classification of authority; the cult of personality holds parallels with what Weber defined as “charismatic authority.” A cult of personality is like divinization, except that it is established by mass media and propaganda usually by the state, especially in a dictatorship or sometimes in quasi-democratic states.
Fatoumatta: In a truly democratic ideal political party, every card-carrying member of the party, regardless of education, gender, tribe, and any status, should be equal partners in the party regardless of who occupies what in the leadership cadre of the party.
Fatoumatta: I know the Democratic Party and Republican Party of the United States of America have national chairmen. I rarely know the names of these gentlemen except perhaps during their national convention. You hardly encounter them in the media except for matters that have to do strictly with party affairs where their opinion is needed. I have never heard of the national chairman of the Republican Party or Democratic Party, says, for example, Mrs. Kathleen John will not get the ticket of our party because she is impolite, or she has denied party members patronage.
To the examples aforementioned, it is the people -ordinary party members or cardholders – who matter and not the chairman who sees himself as the alpha and omega and must therefore be revered and worshipped like a deity.
Fatoumatta: In our clime here, you dare not challenge the chairman of your party or the Godfather who controls the chairman lest you are ready to forfeit your political career. It would be best if you played along in order to be seen to be obedient and loyal, even to the detriment of the masses who should be the epicenter of governance.
Fatoumatta: Where the chairman is weak, the Godfather assumes the leadership of the party and thus ostracizes every dissenting voice who does not belong in his caucus. It sounds of third world slavish mentality to preach absolute obedience to the leader of a party rather than the ideals of the party.
Well, it will be self-delusional to think the assemblies of strange bedfellows we parade as parties here harbor any ideal. That is why I often laugh at those who call themselves democrats, liberal and progressives, or the conservatives. Ask them what is progressive or conservative about their political credentials and ideologies? That is a fraudulent claim. However, everyman is permitted his ignorance so long it is not a pandemic that can destroy the whole community if not curtailed.
Fatoumatta: I believe that the leaders represent the parties, and therefore any disagreement with the leader is considered anti-party. How insane! That can only happen in a quasi-party democracy.
Fatoumatta: Going forward, that is, if we must genuinely imbibe the basic enduring tenets of democracy, we must be willing to make the people(masses) the real owners of the party and the administrators (those elected into its national executive and central committees as real servants of the party members.