It is established fact that more than four decades after colonial rule
many foreign debts to African government ended in private bank account
in Europe and North America. The debt crisis have mortgage our natural
resource and increase the condition of poverty in our continent.

The coming of Yaya Jammeh into power is the beginning of the erosion of
human rights records in our country. Most of these crimes are with
impunity. When Yusupha Cham, Wassa Janneh, Shingle Nyass et al of the
United Democratic Party were detained and alleged for been torture for
organizing a party congress in Brikama, the APRC government promise to
masse that justice will be done to bring those responsible to the law
but all turn to be futile.
The regime of APRC for nearly six years have been violating press
freedom and human rights. For more than two years they have closed new
citizen FM radio station and newspaper. These media house is really the
voice of the people. Apart from their broadcast of the daily headline of
the independent newspapers in the local languages, their civil education
programme had an impact on the political education and re-education of
the citizen the vast majority of which are engulfed with illiterate
poverty.

A small and marginalize state like the Gambia, the economic base of
which depend on rain-fed agriculture, re-export trade and tourism, it is
better for APRC government understand contemporary global politics. In
many occasions our major development partners such as Kingdom of Great
Britain, European Union and United States have voice their concern on
issues of good governance, free freedom and human rights situation in
our country. The coming of AFPRC/APRC into power have cost our nation to
lost the support of an important development partner United States
Agency For International Development.

In the era of globalization, our political leadership should know that
the present global formula of development cooperation between developed
and developing countries is base on the solution of democracy, debt and
development. As we are preparing for the polls in 2001, its about time
for APRC government to restore the good democratic image of our country,
by limiting the term of presidency and the maintenance of fair play and
transparency of the Independent Electoral Commission. The political
playing field should should be level for the interest of  a fair play.
All political parties should have equal access to the media.

The present political dynamism should be a concern of every Gambian and
our development partners. We all knows that APRC government have and is
still monopolizing Gambia Radio and Television Service as a political
mouth piece. The institution belong not the APRC party but to the
Gambian tax payers. In the 1996 election, the regime have use elements
of the security forces for campaigning and arresting members of
opposition.
It is about time for our government to recab the mistakes of the past
and improved on before it is too late. It is only free and fair election
that will enhance the bilateral and multilateral financing of national
efforts for sustainable economic and social development.

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