Karamba, thanks for your response and I hope a better Gambia is at the horizen. Thanks for the fruitful exchange. Chi Jaama Joe Sambou >From: [log in to unmask] >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Recent trip to Gambia Joe >Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:04:09 EST > >Joe , > once again I will try to discuss the issue of participation in the >elections. As I said before the coalition had no choice having seen for >themselves the very apparent contours of a totally rigged election. It is >akin to expecting a victim to commit suicide to avoid a planned execution. >Dembo Bojang would be doing the good folks of Bakau a monumental disservice >if he knowingly enters into an electoral contest in which hundreds of >people >would be bused in to defeat him and his constituents in a manner that is >specifically proscribed by the laws of the country. This is true >countrywide. >The purpose was to have legitimately elected members of parliament >unwittingly participate in a fraudulent scheme whose sole purpose is to >subvert the will of the people. There is no argument that all opposition >members of parliament are very much needed in the house and record of the >coalition MPs speak for themselves. They worked very hard and served their >nation honorably. All the party wants is a contest based on the laws of the >country and they have never asked for anything outside those confines. >While >I perfectly understand your desire to see them in the house and doing the >people's business, it is the government and it's allies in crime that have >denied the people their rights to representation. When you are dealing with >a >thuggish regime that has no desire to respect the will of the people, good >people must take a stand and refuse to be accessories to these crimes >against >the people. It was impossible for them to participate and that is the only >reason they did not. If we go by the typical Gambian penchant for >tolerating >bad behavior and crimes as you mentioned with regard to the different >categories of people murdered by this regime from the soldiers, to the kids >and insist that the UDP should go ahead and participate despite these >grave >violations, what would have been the outcome? You will still not get these >honorable members you rightly believe should be in the House and it won't >be >because their constituents don't want them. They would have lost their >seats >to the criminal enterprise hatched by the I.E.C and gov't. Elections are >about winning and loosing but they must always be on a fair basis.Afterall >you will not find anyone who would dispute the very fundamental issues that >underlie the boycott. Once we agree on the reason as being genuine and >critical to democracy, there is no question about the need for an >established >party to stand up and say no to these obvious shenanigans. > On the issue of the international perception, I will tell you for >the >record that the coalition has met and discussed with all friends of Gambia. >Unanimously they have all said they agreed and understood why the boycott >was >undertaken. Granted these same countries have not packed up and left. They >will continue to conduct their businesses in our country and that includes >interaction with a regime they annually characterize as brutal and inhuman. >Relationships among countries endure a lot of disagreements and don't >mistake >this regimes dealings with the civilized world as anything remotely >resembling a seal of approval. This is a pariah regime that that illicit a >lot of contempt primarily because of the way they treat the Gambian people. >The battle for reshaping the destiny of country has to be fought primarily >in >The Gambia and the coalition has a very robust and comprehensive strategy >for >that. We are glad that friends of Gambia in the international community >agree >with us and ensuing events would validate the strong yearnings of our >people. >Don't despair. >Karamba > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<< _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>