Tell Gambians You Would Go If…
Mr. President, as you are canvassing for suffrages around the country, some uneasiness seems to engulf Gambians: they do not believe that you would leave should you be defeated in the October 18th polls. The talk in town is characterised by the fear that you would impose yourself by force should you be voted out.
In fact, this feeling is also amplified overseas as per the current debate on the Gambial -L website and more recently in the October 12th edition of Africa Confidential which is read by most decision makers in Africa and the world. Africa Confidential claims that ECOWAS has its Conflict Resolution Mechanism in Abuja, on “early warning” status.  
For Africa Confidential, you would not relinquish power readily. But we must warn you about the unpredictability of the electorate. We’ve seen well and not well attended rallies which do not necessarily reflect what transpires in the ballot boxes. So, be prepared for any eventuality: to win or to lose.Back home, many scenari are being contemplated. The first theory is that people would resist such a move if they were totally convinced that you lost the election.  
Two, the IEC would resist any attempt to subvert its independence thus precipitating a grave crisis. Three, Some people think you would accept the verdict for just some time as you are allowed by the recent constitutional amendment to stay on for 65 days. Four, there is the other view that there would also be some strong resistance for you to stay for the said 65 days
. Mr. President, the above scenari are based on the premise that you lose the election, meaning that they would and should not arise should you clearly win the election.
Considering the above scenari, we hope you rightly weigh the far-reaching consequences of such possible dangers to the peace and stability of this country. As the incumbent and custodian of the Constitution, Your Duty Here and Now is to REASSURE GAMBIANS. You should unequivocally declare in a nation-wide broadcast to Gambians that you would readily vacate the seat should Gambians decide not to return you to power. It would be reassuring for Gambians and the International Community to hear you hammer home this noble undertaking: that is leaving office if not elected this time around. One of the key statements in your political campaign is that the election would allow you to judge whether Gambians appreciated or not the achievements of your administration for the past seven years or so. It goes without saying that you would fare well should you honour the verdict of Gambians on October 18th.  
Mr. President, Surprise us all. Surprise Gambians and the world at large; Make that Undertaking. Good  
Day, Mr. President and Good Luck

Hallo? The Opposition … Hallo? This Is Our Message
Tell Gambians You Would Accept Defeat If …
The Presidential Election is around the corner. The verdict would be that of the Gambian electorate. We are all bound to accept that verdict if solidly verified. If you the Opposition are convinced that the electorate did not share your hopes and aspirations, you must concede victory to Yahya Jammeh. But we must warn you about the unpredictability of the electorate. We’ve seen well and not well attended rallies, which do not necessarily reflect what transpires in the ballot boxes.
Rumours abound that, the Opposition cannot foresee an APRC victory and by extension would not accept such a prospect. That extremism is not a democratic posture as the ultimate decision lies on the actual vote not hopes, prospects and unverifiable statistics. So, be prepared for any eventuality: to win or to lose. As a political observer hammered home well, people are unpredictable.  
When one awaits them at the bakery, one finds them at the farm harvesting wheat. So, be prepared for whatever comes your way be it victory or defeat. Of course, a victory is a victory. If you have the final count of all signed returns in your favour, that’s your victory
. It would also be a gesture of maturity, as well as of pragmatism on your part, to publicly reassure Jammeh in a nation-wide broadcast that he would not be witch hunted should he lose the election. The same pronouncement must be made with regard to his close associates and the security forces perceived to be his allies.
Such pronouncements would lessen the current tension experienced in the country and pave the way for a clean competition. These declarations would demonstrate that Gambians, who were lucky over the years to enjoy peace and harmony, are more than ever determined to preserve that legacy. Let us have in the back of our minds that people are sovereign and their decision must be final in these matters. WE do not envisage the victory of a group, a party or any individual but that of one sole victor: the Gambian People. Good Luck to you all.
  

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>

To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>