Karamba Touray:
Again thanks for the response but before I begin my short reply to the
points you raised and also before I end this debate, may I once again refuse
to have Lamin Waa Juwara as my guest on the dinner table, unless he is now a
born-again Christian, so to speak. Nothing personal on him, just stating the
facts.
Briefly Karamba, I will touch on the 'key' members of the UDP, namely Lamin
Waa Juwara, Ousainou Darboe,Pesse Njie and Mariam Denton to show you that
your attempt to present the UDP and members, as the best alternative to
Jammeh and team, as being premised on the questionable and indeed dubious
notion that the Gambian people do not know the facts surrounding the conduct
this UDP members in the past.
To begin with, I note with dismay and bewilderment, your attempt to present
Lamin Waa Juwara with a human face but I am afraid to tell you that your
presentation was muzzy as usual, and punctuated with the
vain attempts to re-write history. This 'Mbarrodi' man, as he was known in
his heyday, left an indelible mark on the lives of Gambians he governed as
Commissioner from the Baddibus to the LRD, not to speak of his less-than
impeachable social and private live, of which we also have heaps to write
about. I can elaborate once Waa is on line to defend himself against the
charge sheet that I have already drawn.
On Ousainou Darboe, we know for a fact that he is a part-time politician and
a mere drunkard, whose lack of commitment to the affairs of the Gambia is
becoming more and more evident as he continues to juggle the affairs of his
private practice and that of the UDP, with disasterous outcomes.
No one in the Gambia needs reminding that Mariam Denton is the wife of
former Accoutant General of the country for a good number of years, during
which he looted and stashed millions of dalasis to private accounts. Now
that he (Abou Denton) has been called to account and his assets confiscated,
Mrs Denton, naturally, will offer her services to the UDP for obvious
reasons. She is full of anger and vindictiveness and will do everything to
see to it that Abou regains his former position and flambouyant lifestyle.
Another 'key' member of the UDP, Pesse Njie, has an shaddy past too and the
fact that the UDP accepts him in their ranks speaks volumes of the party.
You complained that Jammeh will not win in any 'free' and 'fair' elections
and of course your premise is the same as that of the UDP whose sectionalist
and ethnic politics, made them to to believe erroneously, that they are
entitled to rule the Gambia. What a shame I would say, because Gambians have
now begun to put away narrow-minded tribalism and this explains the UDPs
dismal showing during the last general elections and nothing else. The UDP
does not have a mass appeal, because it has failed to include everybody in
their party, nor does the party have clean members, as I have explained
earlier.
This, Karamba Touray, is just a brief summary of the UDP, and the
characteristics of its members. To be fair, I will be releasing more, once
the UDP is on-line so that they can defend themselves before the court of
public opinion, if you like. I am not going to blame you for your blind
support of the UDP, because as a youngman, full of idealism and
parochialism, you are not too difficult to manipulate by the eloquence of
the Waa Juwaras. Until the UDP is on-line, I rest my case.
Momodou.
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: UDP members in Parliament-M.Silla
>Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 08:59:57 EST
>
>Mr Silla,
> Your questions about what criteria I used to to come to the
>conclusion that the UDP is the party that merits my support are fair and I
>will try address them. First I asked for and got a copy of their manifesto,
>congress report and roster of leadership and thoroughly read their
>contents.
>In their manifesto like any political document I found much to like and
>things I disliked. For example they are committed to maintaining the army
>as
>an institution whilst I favor a gradual phase out because I don't believe
>at
>our current stage we can either afford or even need a standing army. But
>overall the manifesto enunciates ideas and positions I believe would bode
>well for our country and hence my support.And you asked if they enjoy broad
>popular support in the country. My answer is a categorical yes. How else
>does
>one explain The UDP presidential candidate polling 38% of the vote after
>only
>been allowed two weeks of campaigning during which Yahya Jammeh unleashed
>incalculable cruelty on innocent people using the security forces and other
>organized vigilante groups to ensure a rigged outcome. Do you for one
>moment
>believe Yahya Jammeh can credibly compete much less win a political contest
>that was conducted in a free and fair manner? The guy simply doesn't cut it
>and you know it. Every credible development partner has declared him
>illegitimate and continue to withhold vital aid all because he wants to
>hang
>on the neck of Gambia like an albatross even as her citizens clearly prefer
>others.The circumstances for the overwhelming majoirty of our people have
>worsened. Businessmen have seen a marked decline in the volume of their
>enterprises coupled with confiscatory taxes, a lethal combination for them
>in
>the long run. Government workers face uncertainty and sporadic late salary
>payments. Hundreds of thousands of farmers face ruin and destitution
>because
>for two years in row, the government has failed to facilitate the buying of
>their groundnuts. Every segment of the population is clamoring for a
>leadership that would focus and come up with solutions to these very
>serious
>matters. The government they know only churns out excuses, rationalizations
>and obsfuscations. I am confident the people of Gambia would resort to
>voting
>for a "kankurang" if he stays true to form and jails all his opponents ,
>rather than even consider voting for Yahya Jammeh. The UDP would win with
>an
>overwhelming majority.
>Sure among it's leadership are former senior members of the PPP regime. But
>so what? These are qualified citizens who held government jobs. They have
>never been convicted of any crimes either during or after their
>assignments.
>What do you expect in a country with an almost non existent private sector
>?The government is where the jobs are and they held it. Do you just want to
>expunge them from national life simply because they held a job? I think
>good
>people ought to be sought if they have services to offer. The UDP is well
>led
>by honest and credible people working for change. If you have specific
>allegations about a particular individual in the leadership I and the rest
>of
>the list members would like to hear you out. That is the essence of a
>debate.
>But I am afraid perceiving them to be tainted simply because they worked in
>a
>former government is unfair and lacks merit. As for Lamin Waa Juwara I am
>afraid we would agree to disagree. I think you are simply wrong in your
>characterizations. He is a principled politician who is articulate and not
>afraid to stand up to bullies. And he is funny too , so there you have it;
>an
>added incentive to have the guy over dinner. He will try to get your vote ,
>if that fails you would still have had you dinners' worth in astute
>political analysis, an honest pitch for support and a good laugh.
>
>Karamba
>
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