YAHYA JAMMEH'S  ADRESS TO THE NATION  27TH SEPTEMBER 1996-WHERE ARE WE NOW?!
(PART ONE)

OPTV, once again says hello to everybody and then knocks on Mad Yahya's
door reminding him that never will we give up.This a mission that has been
approved by all good people and God,because God sides with the people.Here
below we will reproduce verbatim mad Yahya's speech which he shamelessly
delivered in 1996 immediately after stealing the elections.He stole power,
stole elections and then stole sanity.Please take note of the highlighted
places  in green and red and then see OPTV'S analysis in the next postings
(PART TWO) which will follow suit immediately.

Mad Yahya's words in 1996 Verbatim........

ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY HIS EXELLENCY YAHYA A. J.J.JAMMEH,PRESIDENT
ELECT,27TH SEPTEMBER 1996,FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS


Fellow Gambians,
I am here this evening to thankfully mark with you yet another great leap
forward in our transition to the Second Republic we the Gambian people are
creating for ourselves and our children.

As I proudly pointed out in one of my recent statements,we the people of
this country are making a name for ourselves. We successfully carried out a
peaceful revolution,thereby bringing
about the political,social and economic reforms we have been yearning for.

This very crucial Presidential Election we have been painstakingly
organising and preparing ourselves for has now been held in an atmosphere
of comparative peace and tranquility.There were, admittedly,a few violent
incidents;but even by our high Gambian standards,our performance is
certainly worthy of emulation far beyond our shores.


The gentle vigilance of the security forces on the one hand,and the law-
abiding nature of the Gambian people on the other,combined to ensure that
there were no major incidents despite the usual over-excitement and rivalry
associated with party politics especially during an electioneering period.

All the registered voters were free to vote for the candidates of their
choice,following the vigorous nationa-wide politcal campaigns.

Those persons and political banned from participating in the political
activities were so dealt with in accordance with the recommendations of
National Consultative Committee and the the Commissions of enquiry,and in
the national interest.The need to ban political parties or individuals is
not peculiar to The Gambia,and those countries criticising us know this and
indeed,resort to such measures when they consider them necessary in their
own interest.These countries have their own banned parties and detainees.It
is only the justification that differs from country to country including
those criticising us.


There is also the fact that  the number of persons banned in this country
in insignificant,  and their followers were told by the Provisional
Independent Electoral Commission(PIEC),quite categorically,they could
regroup under a new party name.Those who wished to do so did just that,but
happened to be the minority.The majority knew better.

Fellow Gambians,
I am glad that the great majority of you voted for me and for what the
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction Party stands for.The
APRC stands for continuity,that is the continuation of the
reforms,rectification and socio-economic development we have been
successfully engaged in during  the past two(2) years.Although a lot has
been achieved
during the transition period,   very much remains to be done.Your decision
to let us continue our fruitful efforts to develop the country and raise
the standard of living is thus wise and patriotic.We are therefore willing
to continue our faithful service to you and the motherland with even
greater dedication.

With the Presidential Election too now,behind us,together with the numerous
objectives in our Transition Programme achieved earlier,only the Assembly
Elections now remain.

The Local Government Elections do not form part of the transition
Programme,and will therefore take place as soon as possible after the first
meeting of the new Assembly.As far as the transition is concerned
therefore,our final national duty is the pending General Elections.I am
confident that we will perform this remaining duty in the same satisfactory
manner in which we discharged those before it.

The Elections will be another very important democratic exercise even
though cabinet ministers,will not be elected Members of the National
Assembly.The work in the Assembly will be as important as ever,and great
importance should therefore be attached to the Elections.I will not say
more about the General Elections at this stage.Suffice it to say that
pending the holding of the Elections,the cabinet has become the sole
provisional governing body.The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council
stands dissolved,the existing transitional Cabinet having taken over over
all its functions and responsibilities.The latest significant development
in the evolution of the Second Republic further demonstrates that we were
soldiers  with difference.We unflinchingly committed ourselves to the
implimentation of the Transition Programme.We sighted the second Republic
from a point some distance march,marked by the referendum,and and now we
the people of the Gambia are,by the grace of Allah,
are about to make our entry with joy;a joyous entry indeed,but with humble
thankfulness to Allah for granting us the foresight and determination to
work hard and relentlessly towards our objective,and the tolerance and
understanding without which we would not have been able to continue to
march forward together as one people despite our political and ethnic
differences.Immediately following the General Elections,I will communicate
with you again and outline,in greater detail,my Government's policy for the
Second Republic.

Our policy during the past two(2) years has been based on our commitment to
Reform,Socio-economic Development,Transparency and Accountability.As we our
achievements so far have been to your like and obvious benefit,we will
naturally maintain that policy while improving it even further.I will not
disclose more at this stage.It goes without saying that what we could not
do within our crowded Transition Programme,we will endeavour to do during
the additional time now available.

Similarly,our Foreign Policy will remain generally the same,based on our
principle of friendship and peaceful coexistence with all countries
irrespective of religious,ideological and ethnic differences.

I again withhold further disclosures until I address you again after the
Elections.  I must sieze this opportunity,however,to thank those countries
and International funding Agencies who stood by The Gambia during our
critical and difficult Transition Period.Without the understanding,help and
encouragement of these countries and Agencies,the transition would not have
bee so very successful despite the obstacles others deliberately put in our
way.

I also thank all those here in The Gambia who helped in one way or another
to make the Presidential Elections a success.In particular,I thank the
chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission for successfully carrying
out their onerous task.
The difficulties experienced by the commission exclusively relating to its
funstions,that is within its terms of reference,will be looked into in
order to eliminate them for the purpose of the forthcoming Elections.Other
problems and anomalies experienced by the electorate and the other public
authorities such as Divisional Commissioners,the ministry of Justice and
the security Forces will likewise be looked into.

In conclusion,Fellow Gambians,I thank you for all you have done for the
motherland during the transition period.I thank those of you who voted for
me.I look forward to serving you and all other Gambians.By majority you
have all jointly elected me as First President of the second Republic.In
democratic elections,no voters lose since the outcome is the collective
will of all. My thanks are therefore extended to all.

In the cicumstances I urge each and everyone of you to relax once more and
go about your business in peace.


Why did the Gambia Radio and Television Services(GRTS) not!!! project the
same camera on Darboe,Bah,Jatta to deliver their speehes live and direct?
Mad Yahya was a president-elect so all those party leaders could have
contested the results before the swearing in ceremony or even after that!
This uncompromising and threatening speech was why the APRC dogs at the
time were quick to say that Darboe ran and was hiding.Darboe knew exactly
what he was doing! He received threats from the july 22nd boys that he was
going to be killed.Darboe could not have ignored the advices of securoty
experts like Siaka Sonko and others.

 The faces of other opposition members were briefly shown thanks to Nana
Ama Ofori Atta.Infact that was almost nothing because she did so when she
was passing by interviewing people in the streets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nana has obviously been ejected from the TV well before Bora Mboge came.She
is now running a private company Vinasha productions. Those who believe in
God prosper without mad Yahya! Nana succeeded in shooting a movie THE
GAMBIAN COP and it was aired on British TVS.
The tapes that show these things are still in the archives of the GRTS
library and can be retrieved to show that OPTV is relaying the facts as
they were written by mad Yahya and cronies in our sad country's history.It
was after those so-called elections that one of mad Yahya;s ministers
angered the APRC stalwarts because he was seen on TV dancing MOOLAYE
CHEGGIN a style that was introduced into The Gambia by Seengalese drumbeat.
That caused rumours and then eventually made the minister lose his
position! Ofcourse being over zealous and shameless before an excited
dictator was not good in those circumstances.
That very minister is back today and we all know what mad Yahya was saying
against him at that time.Mad Yahya has no colours he lies and bends the
gang's rules when someone makes him happy during ataya sessions.
Show me in Yahya's speech where he refered to those who opposed him with
any word that calls for reunion and peace.
It was after those so-called elections that mad Yahya called the opposition
members unwanted elements of the motherland who were going to be
insignificant before the 33 seats of the APRC so-called parliamentarians!
Sedia Jatta of PDOIS reacted and told Yahya that the single seat of PDOIS
was enough to  swing the APRC and throw them out!!!!!!!!! Sure Sedia was
right.
How about now? Where is Baba Jobe? Where is Suso? Where are the other APRC
parliamentarians? Where is Foday Makalo,and what was he accused of after
leaving the APRC bureau in Banjul? How about the mayorship of Banjul?
The answers to these questions will justify that Sedia was right.
Today Haiti's Aristide bowed and OPTV was convinced that was going to
happen.
Yahya is yet to face the necesary forces from the people that is why he is
stiil playing with our lives!
Certainly mad Yahya himself knows that those who compose OPTV are far more
strong-headed than he is and I swear by the Almighty mad Yahya will see the
flames when and where he does not expect them .

Binneh S Minteh
New York University.

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