Comrade Kabir and All,

Though hard pressed at work, I felt I need to chip in some observations 
counter to your informed ones. I have no love for this  search for a 
"leader". Though quite necessary, infact, I think it is almost 
petty-bourgeios, a population's frantic groping after the most qualified 
individual capable of delivering us from damnation. Herein lies buried the 
root of the question "are there any guarantess...". It is a futile business, 

this looking for a god, a god that will eventually fail.

From inside NADD, Sidia Jatta, Sam Sarr, Halifa Sallah, are all quantities I 

would bet my life for. (Kindly post here Sidia's classic resignation letter 
from government sevice when you find it). But considering our wider national 

political and voting history, whose choices for preseident will any 
of these gentlemen be? 

If the coalition is to remain a coalition and decides to choose a leader 
from within, capable of kicking out the junta, then Ousainou Darboe is the 
most obvious choice! He simply commands the largest following in the 
country; he polled the largest share of the opposition's vote in the last 
two elections - infact greater than the combined votes of the other 
presidential candidates. Infact for whatever Gambian reason should he step 
aside to allow someone else inside NADD to lead? Just why, never mind Pa 
Nderry Mbaye's pagan reasons about public pressure on him to do so? Which 
public? 

[True, Pa Nderry has every democratic right to report what he wants. But 
NADD is an ongoing process, and thus can suffer derailment if its 
deliberations are wired around the world even before reaching conclusions, 
for obvious reasons. But that is a NADD problem. They must simply shut down 
Pa Nderry Mbaye's "unimpeachable source" from leaking on matters that are 
still being debated inside the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE!  Because he is nowhere, 
Mr. Mbaye is practically everywhere].

ALL over the place, the SOPI coalition in Senegal that ousted Joof in 2000, 
the NARC coalition in Kenya that kicked out KANU, the six-party coalition 
that failed to wrest inherited power from Faure Gnassimbe in Togo, it is 
always the leader of the largest party that leads! But NADD crafted a 
formula that allows equal representation (from its constituent parties) in 
its structures, to sort of equate that with the democratic content of 
subsequent decisions and choices it makes. How wise that is should be a 
matter for debate. In Senegal, more than twenty leftist parties (or rallies, 

or movements) joined Wade's liberal PDS to effect the Joof ouster! Looking 
at it this way, it needs to be said that it is the other qualified 
candidates who need to rally around Darboe, inspite of all past diferences. 

But the problem then becomes what the enemies of the coalition will do about 

Darboe as flag-bearer. Buharry and others have so eloquently showed us the 
potential juridical risks. But are those risks compelling enough to outweigh 

the other weighty risk of a weakened, unorganised and unprepared NADD 
without a Darboe flagbearership? I do not know. However, it is interesting 
to note that Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change in Uganda 
is now dividing his time between appearing in court and campaigning. 
[Ugandans, unfortunately could not form a coalition against Museveni, 
another god that failed, now bent on re-authoriting the constitution to 
perpetuate his rule. 

Sister Jabou Joh's question about debunking the NADD agenda for the exercise 

of personal power is important. How do we guarantee ourselves against such a 

menacing possibility? A swift pick of flag-bearer must be immediately 
followed by mobilising all supporting parties to create an organisational 
body with structures that must promote and sensitise the entire population 
on the NADD objectives anad strategic goals. A programme of education in 
theory and practice that must continue even after the elections. The 
leadership qualities we have come to know from all NADD executive committee 
members, progressive journalists, youth and gender organisations, all 
democratic forces including ourselves must get invovled in this 
democratisation process of the transition period before NADD self-destructs. 

In other words NADD must simply get ORGANISED democratically around its 
agenda. We the people, when strongly organised can ensure that whoever is 
elected answers to our call. That is why the question of a flag-bearer, as 
important as it is, should not overshadow the even more important issue of a 

robust organisation with concrete goals. That I think is the only possible 
guarantee.

To end this, allow me to reiterate Bambalaye's call for patience. These are 
historic times in our country. We have never been here before. That is why 
all progressive and democratic forces need to unify around NADD. It does not 

mean that we should not debate rigorously. It means that we must exercise 
humility and tolerance for the views of others, with the hope of playing at 
least an advisory role to those on the ground in Gambia. Naturally 
disagreeing on important matters is part of the process. But it is possible 
to do that in a climate of civility. I think this is a reasonable way 
forward for those of us behind NADD.

Cheers,

Sidibeh

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