The Foundation of Good Governance
By Baba Colley
Why The Gambia Needs Qualified Legislators
In football, spectators rise to their feet for the dramatic goal, the spectacular save, the moment of individual brilliance. Yet every player knows the truth: those celebrated moments emerge from dozens of unglamorous passes, tactical adjustments, and coordinated movements that most fans barely notice. A defender’s precise pass to midfield, a forward’s run that creates space, the constant repositioning that shapes the game—this is where matches are truly won or lost.
Governance operates by the same principle. Running a nation is 99% process—methodical, technical, and rarely headline-worthy. The policies we celebrate, the progress we applaud, the stability we depend upon all rest on countless procedural decisions made far from the spotlight. And nowhere is this more true than in The Gambia’s National Assembly, the institution responsible for translating national aspirations into enforceable law.
The Legislative Gap
The Gambia has witnessed an encouraging surge of young, talented individuals entering the political arena at the presidential and executive levels. These bright minds bring fresh ideas, competing visions, and genuine passion for the country’s future. Their debates in the public square help shape our collective understanding of where The Gambia should go and what kind of nation we want to build for ourselves and our children. This engagement is vital and should be celebrated.
Yet there remains a troubling imbalance. While ambitious young Gambians gravitate toward executive positions and presidential politics, the legislative branch—the body that actually writes the rules governing how executives operate—struggles to attract the same caliber of talent and enthusiasm. This gap represents a fundamental weakness in our democratic infrastructure.
The work of a legislator lacks the visibility and perceived glamour of executive office. National Assembly members operate largely in anonymity, crafting provisions, reviewing amendments, and scrutinizing technical details that rarely generate public excitement. There are no ribbon-cutting ceremonies for a well-drafted clause, no viral moments for meticulous committee work. For those drawn to politics by the prospect of recognition and influence, legislative service can seem thankless.
But this perception fundamentally misunderstands where power actually resides in a functioning democracy.
Why Legislative Quality Matters
Legislators don’t just make laws—they define the boundaries within which all other governance occurs. They determine what businesses can do, what rights citizens possess, what obligations the state has, and what limitations the executive must respect. A president can have transformative vision, but without quality legislation, that vision cannot be implemented effectively, fairly, or sustainably.
Consider what robust legislative capacity enables:
Economic development depends on clear, predictable rules. Businesses need to know what regulations they must follow, what taxes they will pay, and what protections they can expect. Ambiguous or poorly written laws create uncertainty that stifles investment and entrepreneurship. When The Gambia’s laws are clear, simplified, and well-constructed, local businesses can plan confidently and foreign investors can assess opportunities accurately.
Citizen protection requires precise legal language. Rights mean little if they’re not properly codified. Protections fail if statutes contain loopholes or contradictions. Ordinary Gambians need a legal framework that genuinely safeguards their interests, and that framework must be crafted by legislators who understand both the law’s technical requirements and its human implications.
International partnership demands credible institutions. Foreign governments, international agencies, and development partners evaluate countries based partly on legislative quality. Can they trust that agreements will be honored? Will regulations remain stable? Is there genuine accountability? A professional, competent National Assembly signals that The Gambia is a reliable partner worthy of investment and collaboration.
Governmental accountability flows from legislative oversight. The National Assembly doesn’t just create laws; it scrutinizes how the executive implements them. This requires members who can analyze budgets, question ministers effectively, and understand policy complexities. Without capable legislators asking difficult questions, executive overreach becomes inevitable.
The Process Matters
The challenge is convincing talented Gambians that this unglamorous work matters—that being the midfielder who makes the crucial pass is as valuable as being the striker who scores the goal.
Legislative excellence requires particular qualities: patience for detail, commitment to research, willingness to compromise, and comfort with incremental progress. It demands people who find satisfaction in work that may never be publicly recognized, who understand that a well-crafted statute can shape thousands of lives long after its author has left office.
The Gambia needs legislators who view their role not as a stepping stone to something more prominent, but as a destination worthy of their full ambition and capabilities. We need members who will invest in understanding complex policy areas, who will read the fine print, who will consult experts, who will resist the temptation to grandstand when meticulous work is required.
Moving Forward
Building this culture won’t happen automatically. It requires changing how we talk about legislative service, how we educate young people about governance, and how we recognize excellence in lawmaking. The National Assembly should be seen not as politics’ minor league, but as democracy’s essential foundation.
Political parties bear responsibility for recruiting and supporting quality candidates for legislative office. Civil society organizations can highlight the importance of legislative competence. Media can give more attention to substantive parliamentary work rather than just conflicts and controversies. And citizens can demand more from their representatives than mere party loyalty or constituency service.
The future of The Gambia—a nation where businesses flourish within fair rules, where citizens enjoy genuine protection, where international partners engage with confidence—depends not just on who sits in State House, but on who occupies the seats in the National Assembly. The process may be boring. The work may be anonymous. But for those willing to embrace it, few contributions to the country’s future will prove more consequential.
The question is whether enough qualified, committed Gambians are willing to step forward and do the work that truly matters, even when that work happens far from the spotlight. The Gambia’s trajectory depends on the answer.