A dynamic leadership gives hope and keeps the determination of aspiring leaders. It is counterproductive to reason along the line that a leader could be in office for a lifetime no matter how effective that leader is. It takes away the energy, enthusiasm, and perseverance of aspiring leaders (ones who could affect a positive and grandeur change).

On the other hand, when we all know that a particular administration has an expiry date, we plan and rejuvenate our aspirations to ascend that throne. The time for a constitutional amendment to put term limits on presidential tenure is now or never.

The lessons of the past tell us the volatility and the grave consequences that come with perpetual presidential tenure. The nations with term limits removed the possibility of overreaction from leading to a coup, from inundating and debilitating their stability.

There should be no room to think that arms are the only solution; they exacerbate. We would rather be proactive. It is now or never. If every Gambian has to be president one at a time until we patch a better path, we do that. But the current state of affairs does not accord us that gratification.

Voting is about convincing the masses, either in kind or deed, to uplift the nation. Achieving the latter proved absent. The current administration only wishes for longevity, even to the detriment of The Gambia. They lack any tangible agenda. Knowing the expiry date of such naivete alone could be gratifying and keep our dreams for a better future alive.

Secondly, name me a country with a term limit that had undergone a coup at an epic proportion. The same is not the case for a country that does not see any silver lining behind the dark clouds (term limit). It is much better for lackadaisical administration riddled with every negative connotation to having an expiry date than not. Patience remains alive when there is an end in sight. We cannot as a nation fail in establishing a constitutional reform that centers around term limits; it is by and large the best check and balance.

Economic transformation is sometimes trial and error (coming from a nonexpert); the dynamism of administration would give way to such experiments. One of the reasons for the lack of transformation is that there are no fresh minds and ideas in the place they matter. The current administration never navigated in that direction because the only change made post-election was a mere reshuffle. What we need are fresh ideas and transformational reorientation.

By Ebrima Kanteh
USA