Mr. Dampha, thanks for those sensible comments. I will answer some of your
questions when i am ready with my next article "Voting and counting process
in last presidential election."
Lamin PF Manneh


>From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Yahya CANNOT rig voting and counting
>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 12:45:43 EDT
>
>Well, sorry to butt in Mr. Manneh (I saw that you addressed your piece to
>Ebrima Ceesay). Thank you for a well thought out piece. It came up with
>some
>practical measures to ensure a level playing field for the next election
>cycle. I hope the opposition parties pay attention to some of your
>suggestions. I like your magic (indelible) ink that seems to cure almost
>all
>the ills that were present during the former regime's elections. Although I
>think that your title is a bit misleading, I think I can live with it.
>However, I would like to point out to you that votes are not rigged
>(manipulated) solely on election day. The period leading to the elections
>is
>equally (if not more) important. It is worst to intimidate people to vote
>for you than to buy their votes to prevent them from voting against you. I
>do not condone either practice. So, the structures you cited are well and
>good for monitoring voting on election day. But do these safeguards
>guarantee a voting free from rigging? You also went through the dangerous
>path of comparing the situation during the Jawara regime to what obtained
>during the last election in order to rationalize the role of the elections
>commission. You gave the commission a clean bill of health by rhetorically
>asking why no one sued them in court. That same logic can be turned around
>thus: if the old system was so rotten, why did no court overturn election
>victories on behalf of PPP, PDOIS or NCP after the 1992 elections? If PPP
>was so versed in the tactics you said were taking place in Banjul and
>Serrekunda, why didn't they use those tactics against Dembo in Bakau or
>Gibou Jagne in Serrekunda West? If the registration of alien voters was so
>rampant why didn't parties use the existing laws to successfully challenge
>the illegal registration of voters? Again, I hold no brief for the PPP
>regime. As I said yesterday, the PPP regime is a dismal failure. Gambians
>should expect more from Yaya and his cohorts. It is no excuse that one is
>doing slightly better than one was doing during the PPP regime. We should
>aim higher and do lot better. If we should be contented with the status quo
>ante or slightly better, then there is no justification for change from the
>Jawara days and Yaya and his gang should be booted out. All participants in
>the coming elections should ensure that before they go around legitimizing
>Yaya, they should ensure that there is a level playing field. Otherwise,
>boycott the elections and isolate Yaya further. Makes it easier for us to
>pounce on him. Grasping at justifications such as tribalism in order to
>rationalize Yaya's victory does not cut it. Too much is made of the TV,
>radio and newspapers. How many Gambians are literate or have access to
>electricity? What is more important is to give opposition leaders free
>access to their constituents to conduct rallies without intimidation;
>showcase the brutality and corruption of this illegal regime without fear
>for ones life. Intimidation and general lawlessness is the problem. Gambian
>voters are not stupid and they are not bigoted. If allowed to vote freely,
>they will put in place a government that puts their interest paramount. So
>bureaucrats and security forces should not drop the ball and then blame the
>Gambian public. Please enlighten us on the structures put in place for
>challenging people's eligibility to register and vote. The tokenism of
>government ministers going to voting stations to test the veracity of the
>electoral laws is not enough. Also tell us more about returning officers.
>Just also want to point out that computers are operated by the same
>potentially corrupt human beings that gather data in a manual system.
>Finally, I would respectfully urge advocates of elections and well-meaning
>Gambians to ignore self-promoters on this List and scrutinize what Mr.
>Manneh wrote and see if they can improve on the good practical suggestions
>he gives. I for one do not believe that Yaya and his gang are capable of
>ensuring a free and fair elections in The Gambia. But the significance of
>the debate we on the List contribute to our national development goes
>without saying. Anyone that doubts me should just read the local
>newspapers.
>This is not a knock on the brave journalists on the ground. We know that
>you
>are constrained (threatened by deportation, torture and murder). That is
>why
>we say things here that no sane person (that does not want to commit
>suicide) back home would hesitate saying. We will continue to showcase the
>brutality of this regime and pursue all avenues to rid our country of the
>cancer in the person of Yaya.
>KB
>
>
>>From: Lamin Manneh PF <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Yahya CANNOT rig voting and counting
>>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 00:45:30 PDT
>>
>>Ebrima, i want to tell your secret informer that Yahya and his men cannot
>>rig voting and counting process in The gambia due to the high level of
>>transparency and constant surveillance mounted by all the political
>>parties
>>involve.
>>The military junta really tried to cheat using the methods used by the
>>defunct PPP and NCP but all the "Tapaley" doors were closed by PIEC before
>>the election took place. The PIEC conducted a study of how the former
>>regime
>>carefully arranged their dishonesty to victory in opposition strong hold
>>areas and came up with very good solutions.
>>Here are some of the election frauds during the PPP regime and what PIEC's
>>deterrent measures were.
>>1. Double or more voting by an individual within and/or another
>>constituency. This was common in the Kombos and Greater Banjul Area where
>>transportation is easy and not everybody know each other. So one can vote
>>for OJ in all the polling stations in Bundum and travel to Pirang, Kombo
>>East, and vote for Lamin Kitty Jabang without being detected. PIEC --- put
>>Indelible ink on everybody's tomb after voting
>>2. Double registration in different constituencies: Common areas- Banjul
>>and
>>the Badibus, Serrekunda and the Fonis, Brikama and the Kiangs. PIEC :
>>Control registration and use of indelible ink
>>3. Suppress supplementary Registration in opposition strong hold areas and
>>secretly register families of PPP militants, Saffelo, Alkalo and top civil
>>servants. Common places: Anywhere the opposition poses threat. PIEC -
>>There
>>was no supplementary registration before last presidential election
>>4. Meddle with the manual voter register: PIEC- Computerised Head Register
>>controlled by United Nations contract staff.
>>5. Buying votes from poor opposition families. PIEC- No control
>>6. Registration of aliens. Common in Serrekunda, Banjul, Western Division
>>and the Fulladus(both East and West). PIEC- The registration officials
>>contracted by the PIEC were very competent, honest, brave and responsible
>>young men and women. They strictly work according to the ethics of their
>>duty and refused to register anybody who did not have proper paper works
>>and
>>the approval of the elders. The following people were not issued with
>>voter's card at the registration grounds: Sankung Badjie Inspector General
>>of Police, Yankuba Touray Minister for Youth and Sports(both were latter
>>issued after the intervention of Gibriel Robert), some close family
>>members
>>of President Jammeh were not registered when they refused to comply with
>>PIEC regulations. Two senior PIEC officials at that center were later
>>arrested and detained at Kanlagi Police Station.The former minister Kabba
>>Bajo, Tominic Mendy and many senior army officers were denied the usual
>>preferential treatment at registration centers and they had to joined a
>>big
>>line inorder to be registered. One senior registration officer almost
>>exchange blows with Major Bojang in Niamina when he attempted to disrupt
>>the
>>registration process . So these boys were really great!
>>7. Bribe registration and election duty officers. PIEC-- paid officers
>>very
>>well. The lowest salary rate was D95.OO a day
>>As you can see, most of the cheatings were done before election and
>>counting
>>of votes.
>>
>>WHAT LED TO YAHYA'S VICTORY
>>Yahya Jammeh and his political adversers after knowing that they cannot
>>twist the hands of PIEC officials, resorted to the following strategy to
>>win
>>votes:
>>1. Controlled both private and public media. UDP had no media coverage
>>throughout their campaign. Radio Syd started to cover some political
>>rallies
>>for all political parties but they were forced to stop it immediately.
>>2. Tribalism: When Yahya was fully in control of all national media
>>networks, some prominent Mandinkas among his national campaign team,
>>denounced their own ethnic group as selfish and tribalist people over
>>Radio
>>Gambia. This really boost Yahya's image among the Fulas and some wollof
>>voters because Darboe has no access to the radio to refute these
>>allegations. In fact before official campaign begins, i went on an
>>official
>>tour of over 104 villages in CRD and over 90% of voters(except the
>>Saloums)were supporting Darboe. But the negative tribal comments by the
>>APRC
>>Mandinka Jon-o-lo attributes to Darboe's awful defeat among minority
>>tribes.
>>3. Intimidation. This was a very successful tool used by Jammeh. All civil
>>servants of all categories were intimidated by government to vote for
>>APRC.
>>In Janjanbureh, Major Bojang convened a meeting in his office with all the
>>heads of departments in CRD and threaten to fire anybody who supports
>>Darboe.  He held similar meetings with all the Alkalis and saffello(NO
>>WONDER HE IS REINSTATED). Guess what this  brought to Jammeh considering
>>the
>>extended family system in The Gambia and dependency level of the poor and
>>the unemployed to these civil servants and traditional rulers.
>>Ebrima, the blunt fact is that the Mandinkas(except Jarra and Kiang) who
>>were actually describe as tribalist were the very people who voted Jammeh
>>to
>>power. Can you believe Darboe lost in Bansang Town, Sami District, Brufut,
>>Pirang, etc?
>>What UDP should fight now is a free and fair campaign--- equal media
>>access
>>by all political parties, no intimidation on civilians, Commissioners,
>>Chiefs, Alikalolo and top civil servants be neutral and Ousanou should
>>deploy the same die hard polling and counting agents like the Bakau women
>>in
>>all polling and counting centers.
>>
>>I will end this paper with TWO rational questions: If the votes were
>>rigged,
>>why nobody sue PIEC?  Please give an example of at least one polling and
>>counting center where voting was rigged.
>>In my next article, i will briefly describe the voting and counting
>>process
>>of the last presidential election.
>>Its too late here, have a wonderful day.
>>Cheers
>>Lamin PF Manneh
>>
>>
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