Halifa,
         Thank you very much for that response. It is making the picture much
clearer. This is the type of dialogue that will help people to understand the
dynamics that are invariably at the core of these exchanges. Some of us have
been away from the Gambia for too long, and rely on the information on this
forum to make an objective appraisal of what is going on.

     However, the main purpose of my submission in that piece, is basically
to draw your attention to a significant observation. The observation being
that, your commanding presence on the political scene, necessarily inhibits
or enhances the course of political events, depending on what action or
inaction is facilitated. This observation is given credence, if we consider
the fact that it has been postulated that, Halifa Sallah is responsible for
everything that is wrong with the evolving realities, or Halifa Sallah could
have been responsible for what should be right, what is ideal and what
epitomises the aims and aspirations of the Gambian people, if he had acted in
a certain manner.

    The action or inaction in this premise is conditioned by the fact that
whether you act or not, whether your action is justified or your inaction
villified,  the resulting outcome always cannot be divorced from you. This in
essence, proved that you are irrefutably bound to the evolving realities in
the Gambia. This is undoubtedly why you are expected to sacrifice your life,
for interestingly enough your life, your very being at the center of this
political evolution, revolves around the myraid interest that are struggling
for political control, for political power. Thus your contention that
politics is about interest, and that some criticisms are provoked by
interest, while others are well meaning, is germane. You definitely have to
distinguish the casues that are worth your life, and the others that are not.
That you are a natural asset to the Gambia, I don't think has ever been in
dispute.

     With respect to expectations, history has placed you in the enviable or
unenviable position, of having to respond to these impulses whether implied
or material. Halifa, you have the capacity to do a lot of good things for the
Gambia; whether the time has not come yet or not, the historical demands are
that something positively realisable should happen. Eventhough you have
explained your position succintly, over and over again, that void between the
ideal and what is there presently needs to be fillled. Hence the expectation
that is embodied in everything that you represent. That the vast majority of
youths were dissatified with your unacceptance of a ministerial post, was
basically a manifest interest to see you in action; to assuage their hopes,
their desires that may be things would be different. Now, it is your duty to
explain and clarify things so that this important constituency could be won
back. How you have started it with this dialogue would be helpful.

   Your politics has been govern by consistency in principles, objectives and
goals, and your rationalization of the determining factors that were relevant
to your support of the 1997 constitution, is reasonable. The consensus that
you can now forge around the Constitution is to have all the undemocratic
decrees repealed, and attempts to have terms limits and other popular
democratic provisions amended into the Constitution.

    I have never questioned your sincerity to the cause that you spent the
greater part of your life for; and I hope a lot of Gambians too. I hope time
will exonerate you. History would surely judged you favorably. You have
proven that you can make the determination between criticism that is of
essence, and one that is borne out of an unjustifiable desire for you to be
what you are no. I will therefore leave you to make that determination.
Sincere Regards.

       Rene

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