Mr Jobe
With all due respect, I would not want to be a judge of what language people
use here - that is the work of the List Managers. I would however agree that
once in a while we all - including you and me - are prone to emotional
outbursts. That however is not the issue here.
The issue here is that we urgently need a mechanism for a peaceful change of
leadership in our country. You and other supporters of the president should
not advocate this because you love Jammeh less, but because you love The
Gambia more, to borrow a Shakespearean dictum.
Certainly, one of the principle causes of crisis in Africa is the propensity
by leaders to overstay in power; the propensity by leaders not to create an
enabling environment for an orderly change of leadership, which leads to a
post-Mobutu Congo situation; the propensity by leaders to create a
personality cult around themselves such as happened in the dying days of the
Jawara era and is fast happening with Jammeh. We all know that Jammeh
promised to limit the terms of presidency. Why is he not doing it? Why is he
holding all of us hostage to satisfy his own whims?
Certainly, the APRC is made up of people who are no less intelligent than
Jammeh; people who are no less capable of running the country than Jammeh.
Why should these people not be given a chance to lead the country too?
Certainly Edward Singhatey is no less intelligent than Jammeh? There are
others like Sarjo Jallow, Sedat Jobe, even Yankuba Touray. These people and
others among the ranks of the APRC should have a chance to present
themselves to the Gambian people. I wonder what the deal was with the July
22 revolution back in 1994. Was it that there would be one party leader and
only one leader forever? If not, why is Jammeh being allowed to monopolise
the leadership of the party, like Jawara before him did with the PPP? Why
should he be allowed to repeat the very crime for which he booted Jawara out
of power? I bet if today such a clause were inserted into the Gambian
constitution, much of the tension and acrimony we see on the Gambia-L would
dissipate into thin air. And with it would disappear a great portion of the
mammoth security threat facing our country.
So folks like you in the Jammeh camp should exert pressure from within to
bring about this all-important development not because you love Jammeh less,
but because you love The Gambia more. After all, APRC stands for Alliance
For Patriotic Reorientation and Construction...of what: A Faulty Political
System, one of whose greatest faults is the lack of term limit for the
president. Whither patriotic, then?
Pa Small
>From: Kebba Jobe <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez
>Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 09:43:38 -0000
>
>Mr. Small,
>
>I have no doubt, personally, that there is a lot that should be expected
>from this government. Inclusive, is the 2-term limit for the presidency.
>Other issues include human rights, development and peaceful co-existence.
>However, what I personally abhor is some of the very extremist views and
>vulgar language that some seem to think is the only way to communicate. How
>can any reasonable person expect all of us to hold the same views on all
>issues that affect us? Since joining the list I have admitted all
>reasonable
>possitions held by all and sundry and defended those that I think is
>possitive about the regime. Sometimes some concur with me other times some
>disagree. This is to be expected. As you seem to be a very reasonable man,
>tell me, is the language that the likes of Conteh, Hamjatta and Dampha use,
>not a bit strong?
>
>Happy Easter, and bye 4Now.
>>
>>
>>----Original Message Follows----
>>From: Edward Small <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>> ><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez
>>Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 19:35:12 -0000
>>
>>Really folks, I have no doubt that you guys are pretty intelligent. >For
>>me,
>>the issue is not whether Jammeh has done anything at all for The >Gambia.
>>For
>>me the issue is very political and revolves around one single qestion,
>> >which
>>I challenge you to answer:
>>
>>Why is Jammeh refusing to fulfil his promise in 1994 to limit the >number
>>of
>>times he can run for president? One of his excuses for seizing power >was
>>to
>>make sure that no future president overstays in power, a tendency >that,
>>you
>>guys would agree, could lead to political disaster in our country. Why >is
>>he
>>reneging on that promise?
>>
>>Please don't tell me that I should go ask Yaya Jammeh. If you are out >to
>>defend him, you must be prepared to defend him on all counts. I look
>> >forward
>>to your answer.
>>Pa Small
>>
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