Sister Jabou Joh,

Your Message To The Gambian People is timely and a powerful piece of
agitational writing. Besides, your analysis, as L J Darbo put it, is astute.

Having said that, I think that Brother Lang Tunkara has a very valid point
on this question of impeachment.
That Sheriff M Dibba should instigate it carries with it all the trappings
of  political doublespeak. But let us for a moment forget about the
politician behind the initiative, and study the implications of what he is
purported to have been orchestrating. Even with a hopeless parliamentary
situation, it is not at all ridiculous. I think it is in fact, genial!

Just three months ago, Hon. Halifa Sallah, then NADD coordinator, threatened
to initiate impeachment proceedings against our dictator extraordinaire,
should he fail to retract statements he made claiming the Opposition's
complicity in clandestinely fuelling violent confrontation between Gambia
and Senegal. Hon. Sallah not only threatened impeachment. He even gave Mr.
Jammeh an ultimatum. Shortly after this, Mr. Jammeh sent his village goons
to arrest Hon. Sallah, Omar Jallow (OJ), and Hamat Bah. Of course, then as
now, the balance of power in the National Assembly remains the same.

We must ask then, why did our honourable Halifa threaten to use this
instrument, given that a constitutional coup d'etat could hardly be
procured?
Firstly, it was of utmost weight for Sallah and the NADD leadership to
defend their integrity; to show the entire country, and indeed the  whole
world that the president's allegations were nothing more than irresponsible
fabrications; a fact that would have been established irrespective of the
outcome of the impeachment procedure.

Secondly, I believe that Hon. Sallah and the NADD leaders were acutely aware
that Mr. Jammeh needs to be CHALLENGED at all levels; that despite his
policy of intimidation, there are Gambians who will stand up to him;
Gambians who will not be cowed by his threats; Gambians who will speak truth
to power.

In our current circumstances, it is important that Gambians continue to
challenge Jammeh. In this heavy climate of fear, it is vital that now and
again a public figure - nevermind how dubious the character - publicly
overcomes this fear and stands up against tyranny. That is what S M Dibba
has done. And besides, (paraphrasing Dr. Ebrima Sall when we discussed Imam
Fatty and Mr. Jammeh) having done regrettable things in the past should not
preclude one from making better ones in the future. We need not embrace Mr.
Dibba. But I think we need to give him credit for summoning courage at this
hour. If indeed it all is true.

Cheers,
momodou s sidibeh

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤