Lamin Manneh:

The e-mail below came from one of my sources in the Gambia. It is a response
to your reaction to a posting he, my source, sent just the other day.
Please, take note that I am sending my source's e-mail unedited.

Ebrima Ceesay

____________________________________________________________________
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Attn: Mr. Lamin Manneh PF
>
>
>Ebrima,
>I am not in the habit of responding to comments on the information provided
>to you from either me or any of your other sources except when a genuine
>question/clarification is posed/sought by members. In this case, I am
>making an exception to the reaction of Mr. Lamin Manneh PF who is obviously
>associated with the IEC in one form or another. I must say that I
>appreciate his description of the system put in place that is supposed to
>ensure a transparent and fair election. Anybody familiar with IEC, as I am,
>is very well aware of the mechanism. But, as KB said in his reaction to the
>piece, vote rigging doesn't start and end on election day by counting the
>votes. The pre-registration period, voter eligibility, registration, access
>to the people through political campaigns by Political Parties, absence of
>political intimidation and thuggery: these are all important elements to
>having a free and fair elections. Even access to radio and television
>should be guaranteed although KB doesn't see this as terribly important
>because of the lack of access to electricity and television to a majority
>of Gambians. Advertising executives will tell you that despite the presence
>of radio and television and now the internet, word of mouth advertising is
>still an effective ammunition in their armoury.To illustrate the point, the
>day Hamat Bah came on Television during the 1996 campaign, the impact of
>his performance was felt all the way to Fatoto. Hamat Bah's TV performance
>is still considered by many to be the turning point in the campaign with a
>positive impact on the voters. Hamat Bah could attribute his own victory,
>in part, to the message he delivered to the voters during his TV
>appearance. So, KB, while I agree that the impact of television is not as
>great as in the West, it has an important role to play in a free and
>democratic Gambia. Think about it. Why did the AFPRC/APRC deny the
>Opposition further access to the TV and Radio immediately after Hamat Bah's
>address? The entire Banjul and environs were talking about Hamat Bah's TV
>statement.
>Mr. Jassey-Conteh has in fact responded adequately to Mr. Manneh's claims.
>When a gun is pointed at the Chairman of the IEC to announce the figures
>provided to him from State House where was Mr. Manneh?  Contrary to
>Manneh's claim that the system in place makes it impossible to cheat, I
>think it's being naive. No system on earth is full-proof when it comes to
>unpopular and corrupt Governments; they will find ways to cheat unless the
>Opposition is determined and united to ensure no "hanky panky".
>Delaying election dates prescribed by the Constitution is also another form
>of vote rigging and that is what is going on currently. The National
>Assembly is yet to declare the dates for the much-delayed Municipal
>elections. Barely three weeks ago the APRC Majority leader and the IEC were
>at it over who has the authority to pronounce on the dates of the
>elections. Maybe, Mr. Lamin Manneh can enlighten us on this very important
>matter. In my book, these delays constitute vote rigging. Yes, you can rig
>votes even before votes are cast. So, Mr Lamin Manneh, please, be reminded
>that reality.
>Mr. Manneh also spoke of the way the fax technician at GAMTEL was
>instructed to hide all original result sheets and keep copies for the
>office and that all AAROs and forty-odd AROs provided specimen signature to
>the logistic adviser from the UK for verification. Mr. Manneh, do you know
>why the UK, USA and the EU considered the 1996 elections as not being free
>and fair? Did you ever ask yourself that simple question?  Well, let me
>tell you this: the logistics adviser reported the shenanigans going on
>between the GAMTEL fax technician and State House, not to mention the
>physical threats to civilian voters and politicians by the military. For
>your information, the technician had these results surrendered to State
>House where the figures were altered and returned and the bogus figures
>announced. Yes 450 (APRC) plus 50 (UDP) equals 500 but also 400 (UDP)plus
>100 (AFRC) also equals 500. Both tally nicely with the ballot tokens
>RECEIVED. Yahya and Yankuba may be uneducated but they can do simple
>addition and subtraction.Why did the then PIEC Chairman refuse initially to
>announce those figures which he knew were tampered with at State House via
>GAMTEL until a gun was placed to his head before he succumbed to the
>military boys?
>Ebrima, tell Mr. Lamin Manneh that there are more than one way to skin a
>cat. Unless the Opposition is vigilant, the elections will be rigged. It
>was done before and there is no reason why these misfits would not try
>again; this time around though the consequences will be insurmountable even
>for Yahya Jammeh and his thugs. This is for
>Elhajj Mustapha: Alhagie Tabora Manneh has residences in several villages
>in Niumi. The body of Mr Foday Makalo, according to Kanteh, is buried in
>"Niumi" which could be Barra or Buniadu or in one of his other properties.
>Sorry for the error; I was referring to Tabora's main shop address which is
>in Barra. There are people on the ground looking into the matter.
>Ex-Commissioner Kanteh and a collaborator of his in Dakar will be revealing
>additional vital information on the Foday Makalo murder and other matters.
>
>

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

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

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

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