Well Mr. Jobe, I read your piece but I am sorry to say that it did not
clarify for me your earlier premise that it was absurd for one to argue that
had votes not been bought UDP would have won. I do not mind at all moving to
other topics that interest you. I will respond to you if those topics are of
interest to my agenda on G_L.

I will ignore the characterization you used to describe my reception of the
results. I do not think my postings on G_L says anything to you to suggest
that I was 'flabbergasted'. On the contrary, I had always maintained that
APRC can 'win' if they cheat. In my opinion, that is exactly what happened.
No surprise there. Granted, I did not anticipate the success of the method
that was used this time. I promise you that that will not happen again.

About what the Opposition should do, again I do not think you have been
reading what I have been saying the past three days. So, I assume that your
point on that topic is addressed to other subscribers that spoke on the
topic. If you are interested in knowing what I think the Opposition should
do to avoid such a debacle in the future, I suggest you read my earlier
postings.

If my memory serves me right, it was Dr. Jaiteh that cautioned us about a
UDP defeat. When he did, he was talking about Baddibu and not Kiang. Events
have proven his analysis to be wrong. So whatever he knew that the
Opposition did not know, was irrelevant on March 31, 2001. But the main
reason I took issue with Dr. Jaiteh at the time was the timing of his
pessimism. You do not wait till two days before the elections or after the
elections and start second guessing the Opposition. If one means well and is
privy to information that might help the Opposition or is aware of
situations that might hurt the Opposition, commonsense dictate that you
voice that out in a manner that and at a moment when that information can
help the Opposition. How does it help us if someone sees some Opposition
weaknesses and sit down on that until the eleventh hour and point it out for
our foes to see the weakness? How does it help the Opposition if someone
waits until after election day and start calling people stupid for not
thinking about certain things before the elections? It is doubly insulting
if the person that is now labeling people stupid did not think about the
issue and point it out prior to the election (at a time the information will
be useful to the Opposition).

Finally, as far as the issues discussed on the campaign trail are concerned,
UDP did tackle the issues. It is misleading of you and many others to
portray the campaign in such a way that UDP was discussing certain issues
and leaving out other important issues. They talked about all the issues. It
is not true that they spoke about corruption and not talk about how to
alleviate the plight of our farmers. UDP has to talk about the APRC record.
They did that and even Foroyaa conceded that UDP was talking about how to
develop the country using their manifesto. So I do not know where you got
this idea that UDP was just talking about the horrible APRC record and not
talking about things that were important to people. As I said yesterday,
these issues are not mutually exclusive. Genuine Opposition members will
counsel UDP to talk about all the issues and not lull the UDP into believing
that Yaya's abysmal record is irrelevant to the people.

I also hope that when you said that UDP "should have made their own effort
to alleviate this problem", you did not mean to tell me that you are
recommending UDP buy the groundnuts from the farmers. If that is what you
mean, then you evince a deep lack of understanding of the groundnut buying
industry. Morons like Yaya can use that garbage, but seemingly educated and
enlightened Gambians like yourself, should know better. Do you seriously
think the Opposition can guarantee the purchase of goods in an industry as
controlled (by the government) as the groundnut industry? Where were you
when the government was setting the price for groundnuts?

You see, this is why I cannot take you and others seriously when you say
"minds of the people needs opening up to enable them see that this
government does not deserve to be
re-elected come the October and January elections respectively". This is one
of the most conceited statements one can make. You can be forceful with your
opinions without saying that everyone else is stupid because he or she does
not understand what you are saying. Granted, some of our folks need
enlightenment. But the self-appointed teachers have to be well equipped and
they also have to make sure that they know more than the people they are
preaching to. I reiterate that the problem about the election debacle was
not about the discussion of issue or lack thereof. The same issues that were
discussed in Baddibu were discussed in Kiang. What you have here, was crimes
committed by the likes of Baba Jobe and Buba Baldeh; crimes they will pay
for in due course.
KB



>From: Kebba Jobe <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The By-elections(LpfManneh)
>Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 16:40:45 -0000
>
>Mr. Dampha,
>
>You see, rather than just label people you don't know "dubious" or calling
>them names when they express views that may seem irrational or contrary to
>your own, it is better to ask where one stands. I have a lot of respect for
>Hamjatta, even though I don't know him and I really enjoy his writings.
>However, I believe his intepretation of the Kiang by-election is too
>simplistic.
>
>For the record, I would rather be be found dead than to ever associate
>myself with thugery, injustice or deception. That said and done, please
>allow me express some of my opinions about the by-elections. I have read in
>some of your contributions as well as those of others like Mr. Sanneh,
>Gassama, Jallow, Miss Joh etc., etc., in which all of you seem flabagasted
>by the outcome of the Kiang by-elections. While some are recommending a
>total re-think of the opposition strategy, some are wasting a lot of
>valuable time moaning about voter card buying. As much as this happened,
>perhaps extensively, are they more worried by the fact that some
>disenfranchised themselves for the measely sum of D25.00 or are they more
>worried by those who actually took time off to actually vote for the APRC,
>considering some of the reasons advanced by some that should have convinced
>not to?
>
>I believe it was Mr. Sanneh who, earlier, asked whether a UDP victory was a
>sure thing. I believe the reason be cautioned the UDP supporters about
>being
>over optimistic is because he knew something else that some of us may or
>may
>not have known. Someone else suggested that the minds of the people needs
>opening up to enable them see that this government does not deserve to be
>re-elected come the October and January elections respectively. These are
>all varied opinions based on an individual's own perspective. Let me give
>you a brief recollection I have about a voting card sale in which the guy
>confessed to have sold his card for D2,000.00. When asked why, his answer
>was "The D2,000.00 I was paid is more useful to me and my poor family than
>any of these good for nothing candidates who are only running to line up
>their own pockets." Unfortunately he did not disclose who he sold his card
>to or the party. Now, would you say this guy is irresponsible, unconcious
>or
>down right gaulible? As far as I am concerned, the answer is an EMPHATIC
>NO!!!!!
>
>Some of you have on many occasions highlighted the plight of the ordinary
>farmers especially the difficulty they have selling their produce. The APRC
>government is on record as saying that the buying of groundnuts is not the
>government's responsibility. They also on record as saying that the buying
>of groundnuts should be a private sector venture.
>
>It is alledged that the president, in conivance with certain individuals,
>is
>involved in the buying of nuts. In my opinion, what could have helped the
>opposition, knowing full well the terrible suffering of the farmers, was to
>either try their own effort to alleviate this problem or explain to them
>what they would have done if they were the government. Instead they are
>telling the farmers that all the government projects are a waste of money.
>Without telling them clearly what their alternative would have been, they
>instead be telling over and over again that the schools, clinics, roads,
>tractors are all a sham and these should influence them. Would that be
>bought by everybody? I hope not. These are some of my own views and I hope
>it has made certain things clearer.
>
>Bye 4Now, KB Jobe.
>
>
>     ==========================================================
>"There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
>yet small enough to solve"
>
>                  (MIKE LEAVITT)
>     ===========================================================
>
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________________
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>
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