I think it was Peter Enahoro of New African magazine who,refering to the late
Samuel Doe of Liberia said that, once you are in power you learn quickly, as
Doe had learnt quickly.Jammeh too has indeed learnt quickly.
   He has bought enough time to put in place an elitist middle class
machinery he needs rely on and stay as president of The Gambia for quite a
time. In enriching himself he has also enriched quite a number of Gambians,
made them powerful and prestigious. Some of these were, as Jammeh himself,
nothing and had nothing before he (Jammeh) came came to power. They are the
neuveux riches created by Jammeh.They have settled down comfortably.
    It is through this logic that we can see the rationale for the repeal of
decree 89. Over the years I have learnt that politics is about power and
nothing else. And he who says power also says wealth. This was true yesterday
and it was true today. It is true with the capitalists, it is also true with
the socialists.
      For those of us who have now experienced both the West and our
so-called third world nations' political realities (not systems) we should
know better. Just think of campaign finance in the US; without the backing of
the corporate dollars you cannot be president in the United
States,period!When the realities of the defunct Soviet Union were exposed the
same constante was revealed.
     In my student days I naively thought that politics and power was about
helping to better the fate of the downtrodden. I listened to people who I
thought were genuine about this but today they rub shoulders with Jammeh and
really not much has changed since Jawara.
     I was listening to one of Boris Yeltsin's cronies in an interview on the
CBS program 60 Minutes, he was asked about some corrupt deals he had helped
carry out with Yelstin.In response he said he was going to be honnest,that
every body in power is there for himself first before anyone else and this
includes the president and those who help him rule.
     Jammeh has learnt this quickly, very quickly. Being at the helm is not
about being    a Ph.D. or bagging the best academic credentials of the world,
it is about power. about wealth, about prestige and most people look for
these every day.
      This is what the PPP had for 30 years. Some of us in our delusions of
intellectual delinquency were very bitter as we watched the squander. Many
factions emerged to take their part of the national cake whiles the naive and
uninitiated shouted foul in the midst misery. I remember the group refereed
to then as the Mafia  who were virtual king makers!
     Those in the PPP who are about to reenter the political scene know about
this. In those the days peasants were threatened in political rallies not to
'throw away a parliamentary seat in the bush.'The bush meaning the
opposition. The Jammeh regime is using the same tactics but they are using it
better.
     Jammeh has indeed learnt how to be in power in this short time. He came
to power almost classless but today he has carved out an enriched and
powerful elite that has settled down comfortably and to unseat them through
the ballot box is dinner party....

                     Gibril Gelajo Bah.

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