Hamjatta, you wrote:

"Hamjatta: Here you are not only lying but have garbled certain historical
facts.First, Gabriel Roberts wasn't the chairman of the Consitutional Review
Commission [CRC]. Instead, it was headed by a Ghanaian judge by the name of
Justice Quaye. Sencondly, it was not an allegation that the draft
consitution was doctored: it was based on the testimony of Gabrial Roberts,
[in an interview with the Daily bserver], a key member of the CRC, in an
interview with the Daily Observer shortly after he was named the chairman of
the Provisional Independent Electoral Commission [PIEC]. Roberts DID say
that the draft they handed to the AFPRC recommended a two term presidency of
5 yeears each and the age of the president should be at least 40 years of
age. Since this was counter to their aspirations and or agenda, it was
expunged from the
midst of the draft that was later thrown at the unsuspecting Gambian public.
So it is NOT an allegation to say that the 1997 constitution was
doctored/tailored to suit the AFPRC's ambitions and or agenda. You might
want to have a quiet word with Roberts on this. After all, he is on your
payroll".

Hamjatta, saying that Gabriel Roberts was the chairman of the CRC is an
error on my part. However that Roberts made these revelations about the
doctoring of the CRC interim report, is news to me. Perhaps you or Ebrima
can provide specific references. Your absurd insinuation in the last
sentence of the above section will be taken with a pinch of salt.

You again wrote:

"Hamjatta: Where did you get the absurd notion that parliament is "an
independent arm of government"? From Jammeh himself, no doubt! Or might that
just be a Freudian Slip on your part, since this is precisely what currently
prevails in the Gambia? For an apparently intelligent man, you are capable
of uttering garbage and silly stuff. For your information, parliament is the
legislative arm of the State and in a clearly demarcated democratic polity
which has strong checks and balances, is independent of the gov't of the day
- well, at least in theory. There is an enormous difference between the
notions or phenomena of the State and the gov't. The State is the body
politic of a collectivity or society in practical continuity whilst
government refers to those mandated to govern the State of affairs of a
polity whose legitimacy is assured through periodic consultation of the
consent of those governed and living in the said polity. You might want to
go back being a sophomore and study some basic gov't texts. Or you will
continue to make a fumbling ass of yourself".

Hamjatta you are not only a self-opionated idiot, but a narrow minded one
for that matter. That parliament is the lesgislative arm of government was
pointed out by me on a number of occasions. The point I was trying to make
is that successive parliaments failed their representatives time and again.
That parliament's effectiveness in providing checks and balances were
severely eroded by the cross-carpet phenomenon and that many of our past
members of parliament changed allegiance to the ruling part, not out of
conviction, but out of greed. I was also trying to say that the president
was effectively leading a one party state even though he did not legislate
it as other dictators did. Period.

You also wrote:

"Jobe": The build-up to the ushering in of the second republic also saw the
formation of the UDP and NRP parties and resumption of party politics by the
PDOIS. The former having been banned earlier was not allowed to contest. The
political campaign was nasty, to say the least. There were frequent clashes
between the APRC and UDP supporters and their militants. The APRC campaigned
openly with the security forces and a massive following of civil servants.
The UDP was prevented from using the public media, allegedly for their
insults and incitement of people. The security forces severely harassed the
UDP supporters, arresting their key members, often for weeks contrary to the
constitution. Journalists, considered to be sympathetic to the UDP, were
constantly picked up, detained or deported if they were foreigners. The UDP
militants also retaliated with more insults and inter-party fights became
common. Some international observers withdrew from the country saying that
the elections cannot be regarded as free and fair considering the virtual
monopoly of the public media, which incidentally had nationwide coverage, by
the APRC. When Yahya coughed, it made the headlines. This nasty situation
continued throughout the campaign period and beyond".

"Hamjatta: In light of that heavy indictment of the AFPRC and its mutation
APRC, are you still willing to wager your integrity any further by calling
the freakish presidential elections of 1996, free and fair? If not, why do
you still think that the APRC is a legitimate gov't? Having said all that
you said above and in lieu of the procedural discrepancies that dogged the
electoral process throughout the so-called "transition period", do you still
believe that Jammeh had really "won" that freakish presidential elections of
1996?"

Precisely. Hamjatta precisely. That I am still willing to wager my integrity
despite the above? You can bet on that. Some of the reasons I will put
forward for still supporting the APRC have already been supplied by you and
some other myopic bigots in your camp. This, I will do after concluding my
opinion of the political situation in the country.

As for the legitimacy of the government, that's not in doubt. The whole
world, including the opposition party/parties you support also think so.

Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe.

>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Why I can still support the APRC Government despite...Pt4
>Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 01:40:44 EDT
>
>"Jobe": << This committee, under the chairmanship of Mr.
>Gabriel Roberts, now the chairman of the IEC, also did their job as
> >mandated
>and handed their to the AFPRC.
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