I hope my not hearing about any movement in the ‘challenge’ of voter
registration rolls does NOT mean that there has been no movement in that
avenue. From the last I heard, the IEC was to set up a structure that will
enable political parties to challenge the non-registration of eligible
Gambian voters and the registration of ineligible people that made it on the
rolls.

Gabriel Roberts was supposed to publicize the rolls and ensure the
appointment of judicial officials that were to adjudicate these challenges.
I hope the IEC has done its job according to our laws and put in place
mechanisms to ensure that all eligible Gambians make it to the rolls and all
ineligible people are stricken off the lists of voters.

To this day, I also have NOT heard the IEC instruct the
government-controlled media to give equal access to the media to all
political parties. The last I heard, Tombong was waiting for instructions
from the IEC before he could open the airwaves to the Opposition taxpayers.
Meanwhile, APRC can announce all their bogus ‘defections’ and
‘developments’. I hope the IEC is NOT waiting until two weeks before the
elections to open the airwaves (financed by the Gambian taxpayer) to
Opposition taxpayers.

If and when the Opposition has the opportunity to ‘challenge’ the voter
rolls, the Opposition has to ensure that the process is an open and fair
process. We should ensure that the whole world know our grievances
pertaining to the people on those rolls. This is one indicia the
international community takes into consideration when determining whether
elections are free and fair in the country. We have all heard about stories
of APRC thugs raiding registration stations and stopping the entire
registration process because IEC officials failed to register people that
were thought to be foreigners. We have heard how APRC thugs coerced
registration agents to register foreigners mostly from Casamance. Now, we
need a legal forum to enable us present the documentation we gathered during
the registration process pertaining to these criminal behaviors. For
instance, we need to investigate the number of eligible Gambians that were
prevented from registering because APRC thugs halted the registration
process at a given center. We also need to get rid of all those Casamance
refugees that were registered because APRC thugs were holding machetes on
people’s heads, so to speak. Even if the impotent IEC is going to rig the
‘challenge’ process, we need to register these grievances in a legal forum.

If and when the Opposition has access to the taxpayers’ media (GRTS), the
Opposition should take maximum advantage of that. Bring documents before
television and show the whole world that Yaya is a thief. He is the most
corrupt politician our country has ever seen. Call Yaya a liar because he
promised Gambians electricity and did NOT deliver on his promise. Call Yaya
a parasite because he is living off of taxpayers’ money without putting in
an honest day’s work. Ask him to prove how he built his villas in Kanilai.
In short, tell Gambians Yaya’s rag to riches story. The man did NOT have one
single savings account in 1994; not even a ‘Post Office Book’. Before the
end of 1995, he was depositing more than $30 Million in Swiss Bank accounts.
If Yaya asks for proof of that, just refer them to the attorney general that
went to Switzerland to fight for Yaya against Ebou Jallow. Let them
publicize the papers in that case in the name of transparency. Gambians will
be disgusted to see how the vermin swindled us.

The Opposition should also give the Gambian public Yaya’s credentials. The
man is a moron. Does not have adequate education. Does not have work
experience to enable him to lead a country like ours that is plagued with
problems. In short, the man does not have what it takes to move us forward.
The Opposition should then seize that moment to parlay the fine credential
of our leaders. People that can school Yaya on how to run things. We should
parade our agenda on TV and Radio. Tell Gambians how we are going to ensure
that our farmers’ groundnuts are sold at competitive prices. Tell Gambians
how we are going to restore law and order in the country and attract the
tourists again. Tell Gambians how we are going to wipe out corruption in the
country and seize Yaya’s ill-gotten gains. Tell Gambians how we are going to
improve their lives by implementing compassionate social policies that will
ensure that when we build classrooms, we will also have teachers and
equipment for the students; when we build health centers, we will have
doctors and medical supplies for the patience. In short, the new government
will NOT be embarked on cosmetic development just to look good to the
myopic. We will embark on policies that will lift our people up and make
their lives better. We will NOT implement policies that will render our
people poorer, like the AFPRC/APRC government has rendered our people poorer
in the past seven years.

Maximum pressure should be exerted on the IEC to ensure that the
Opposition’s voice is heard. The voters need to know that Yaya and his
cohorts CANNOT take us forward. They can only add to the misery they have
visited on us in the past seven years.
KB


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------