In a message dated 01/04/2001 19:58:22 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> My initial reading of the
> results in Kiang leaves no doubt in my mind that this election was stolen.
> In that vein, Saul, I would not retract what I said the other day if I were
> you. But for the rigging of the votes, APRC would have been humiliated.
>
> My reason for saying this is very simple. If we factor in the people that
> were registered but did not vote, the APRC majority in Kiang will evaporate.
> We do not need an UDP official word to decipher what went on here as far as
> vote-buying is concerned.
> ,
> Once again you've beaten me to it. The previous night, i subjected these
> figures supplied by Mr. Ebrima Sillah, to a forensic scrutiny and my
> findings were eerily reminiscent of the vote-buying spree of 1996/7. If you
> look closely at the different polling stations [see attached below this
> mail a break down of the figures by Mr. Ebrima Sillah and courtsey of Mr.
> Sillah] that the UDP lost to the APRC in the Kiang East by-election, you
> would observe that in ALL cases, the percentage of the absentee vote is
> more than the percentage the UDP polled in any of these given stations. See
> below how i break them down to illustrate the point:
Masembeh Polling Station:
Percentage of Absentee Vote ------ 32%
Percentage of UDP Vote ------31%
Kaiaf A Polling Station:
Percentage of Absentee Vote ----- 24%
Percentage of UDP Vote ------ 20%
Kaiaf B Polling Station:
Percentage of Absenteee Vote ----- 30%
Percentage of UDP Vote ----- 16%
Njolfen Polling Station:
Percentage of Absentee Vote ----- 28%
Percentage of UDP Vote ----- 7%
It is remarkable in the case of the Njolfen Polling Station, that the
percentage of the absentee vote was FOUR TIMES more than what the UDP
actually polled. Now, this cannot simply be reducible to voter ignorance of
the issues involved, voter apathy and or the Urban migration effect [which i
just noticed Karamba had effectively debunked]. The vote-buying theory we
have propounded earlier, can only explain why in a place like Njolfen - where
i'm reliably informed the UDP has wider support than the APRC albeit
marginally - the APRC polled something like 90% of the votes casted whilst
the UDP only managed a measly 10% and some 28% of the registed voters stayed
away from the polls.
Whichever way we look at these figures, the stench of fraud and illegal
influencing of the outcome of the by-elections, especially in Kiang, is too
strong to ignore. It cannot just be coincidence that in ALL the polling
stations that the UDP lost to the APRC in the Kiang East constituency, the
percentage of the absentee is actually more than what the UDP polled. There
is no doubt tthat this gut-wrenching stench that i keep getting the whiff of
the more i subject Mr. Sillah's figures to a further forensic scrutiny, is
nothing but a hotch-potch of vote-buying, voter intimidation and other
electoral shenanigans by Baba Jobe's terrorist thugs.
The question naturally arises why the vote-buying went ahead unstopped - save
being reported in the local media - and successful enough to determine the
outcome of the Kiang East by-election? As you alluded to, this
region/division i.e, [LRD] - according to figures i have managed to get from
Banjul last night - is the poorest in the country and where poverty is most
felt. Added to this drepressing vignette, is the fact that because of its
location, the poor farmers of LRD didn't have the good fortune that their
colleagues in, say, the Baddibus [NBD] have of a close proximity with
neighbouring Senegal where there was a ready market for their yields. Hence
the latest farming crisis was felt by the farmers in LRD more than any other
division/region in the country. Perhaps another reason - and this is a
conjecture at this stage - might be that the farmers/folks in NBD [Baddibu]
have more relatives/sons/daughters in the Diaspora than, say, those
folks/farmers in the LRD. The monies and or handouts that come from these
relatives/son/daughters in the Diaspora might act as a palliative to the
incredible hardship this year's season had unleashed and continues to unleash
on these poor farmers. Gauging by the foregoing conjecture, it is perfectly
understandable why the vote-buying spree that the APRC embarked upon in these
by-elections didn't dent the Opposition vote in Baddibu Central very much but
was successful enough in Kiang East to hand the seat to the APRC.
Now, it is very easy for those of us living abroad to scoff at the measly
D25.00 reportedly handed to the poor farmers in exchange for their voter's
cards. These people are going through hell right at this moment - especially
the folks/farmers in LRD. It is perfectly understandable how a measly D25.00
and a little bit of behind the scenes arm twisting can leave such a big dent
on the Opposition vote. In my view, the Opposition leadership bear a measure
of responsibility for this quagmire. They should have thrown in their towels
soon as there was evidfence that the APRC were buying votes -as reported in
the local media. We must lightly chide them or even give them a slap on the
wrist for their negligence and incredulous naivety. This would do at this
stage whilst we constructively engage them in what has gone wrong and the
right remedies needed. I say this because this is the type of scenario that
cynics and closet Jammeh supporters need to clamber out of the woodwork to
engage in non-productive Opposition bashing. Non-productive Opposition
bashing is the wrong way to go about it: The Opposition is the only
moderate/peaceful means that we have as of now to deal with Jammeh and thus
we should not be too harsh on them or call them such scurrilous names like
"opportunists" - as some are alleging. We shouldn't expect of them to lie to
the poor farmers or raise their expectations too high as Jammeh did when he
first took control and continues to do so. Promising or guaranteeing every
farmer three meals a day is too much to ask of the Opposition in the interim
especially in an economically bankrupt country like the Gambia. What makes
more sense and feasible is to promise to restore or introduce a free market
for the produce of the farmers and in the extreme guarantee the farmers that
their yields wouldn't be lying idly somewhere whilst they are in need. Better
still, given Jammeh and his Cartel's looting of our State coffers, the
Opposition can redress the farmers' plight by compensating their losses with
the monies we confiscate from Jammeh and his hustling syndicate soon as we
are done with them. To those orphaned or even orphans pre Jammeh, the mansion
that he [Jammeh] has built at Kaninlai with tax-payer money, the mansion
would be ideal for an orphanage to care for the wretched and lonely who have
no where to go. These are just my humble suggestions.
Whenever i take a hardnosed look at the events unfolding in the Gambia, i
can't help but despair that somehow elections just wouldn't do the trick in
eliminating Jammeh. One thing crystal clear to me is that if we do not get
our acts together NOW and let Jammeh steal the October presidential
elections, there would be be blood to pay for it. People are on their last
reserve of patience. Another fiver or seven years of Jammeh illegally at the
helm of our nation doesn't augur well for peace in this once upon a time
relatively quiet and peaceful place. I hope i'm proven wrong. I fear for that
small country and those wonderful souls that inhabit it.
Hamjatta - Kanteh
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
URL: http://hometown.aol.co.uk/hamzakanteh/myhomepage/newsletter.html
**************************************
Please note the following little errors in the figures
for Njolfen in Kiang East....the total number of votes
cast was 398 and not 390 while the total number of
votes cast for Kolior also in Kiang East was 646 and
not 648. I was doning the figures in a rush sorry for
that.
Thanks,
E.
--- Ebrima Sillah <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
Hello G-Lers,
>
> This was how things went in both Kiang East and
> Central Baddibu:
>
> Kiang East has a voter population of 3831.
> The APRC polled 1784 votes while the UDP got 991.
> Now the breakdown the results make an interesting
> reading especially village by village.
>
> Kiang East:
> Massembeh: Registered Voters ............884
>
> APRC Polled....................328
> UDP Polled....................277
> Absentee votes.................279
> Difference bet UDP and APRC.... 51
> Total Number of votes cast.....605
>
> Kaiaf A Polling Station:
> Registered voters..............809
> APRC Polled....................454
> UDp " " "....................159
> Absentee Votes.................196
> Difference Bet UDP and APRC....295
> Total number of votes cast.....613
>
> Kaiaf B Polling Station:
> Registered Voters..............733
> APRC Polled....................399
> UDP Polled....................114
> Absentee votes.................220
> Differennce bet UDP and APRC...295
> Total number of votes cast.....513
>
> Njolfen Polling Station:
> Registered Voters.............543
> APRC Polled...................358
> UDP Polled................... 40
> Absentee votes................153
> Difference bet UDP and APRC...318
> Total number of votes cast....390
> Kolior Polling Station:
> Registered Voters.............862
> APRC Polled...................245
> UDP Polled...................401
> Absentee votes................216
> Difference bet UDP and APRC...156
> Total number of votes cast....648
> TOTAL VOTES PER CANDIDATE: UDP............991
> APRC..........1784
> Difference bet APRC and UDP.. 793
>
> CENTRAL BADDIBU CONSTITUNECY:
>
> Salikene Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters..............2057
> APRC Polled.....................356
> UDP Polled....................1273
> Absentee votees.................428
> Difference bet UDP and APRC.....917
> Total number of votes cast.....1629
>
> Mandori Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters...............443
> APRC Polled......................86
> UDP Polled.....................225
> Absentee votes..................132
> Difference bet UDP and APRC.....139
> Total number of votes cast......311
>
> Njabang Kunda Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters..............1483
> APRC Polled.....................556
>
> UDP Polled.....................472
> Absentee votes..................455
> Difference bet UDP and APRC......84
> Total number of votes cast.....1028
>
> Daru Rilwan Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters................644
> APRC Polled.....................421
> UDP Polled......................56
> Absentee votes...................167
> Difference bet APRC and UDP......365
> Total number of votes cast.......477
>
> Kerr Pateh Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters................290
> APRC Polled.....................143
> UDP Polled......................28
> Absentee votes...................119
> Difference bet APRC and UDP......115
> Total number of votes cast.......171
>
> Minteh Kunda Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters................829
> APRC Polled.....................417
> UDP Polled.....................164
> Absentee votes...................248
> Difference bet APRC and UDP......253
> Total number of votes cast.......581
>
> Nawrelu Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters.................509
> APRC Polled......................310
> UDP Polled.......................26
> Absentee votes....................173
> Difference bet APRC and UDP.......284
> Total number of votes cast........336
>
> Kintek Kunda Marong Kunda Polling Station:
>
> Registered voters ................763
> APRC Polled.......................115
> UDP Polled.......................397
> Absentee votes.....................251
> Differnece bet APRC and UDP........282
> Total number of votes cast.........512
>
> TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES PER CANDIDATE:
> UDP................2534
> APRC...............2392
> Difference..........142
>
> To put things in proper perspective, in the last
> National Assembly Elections, UDP polled 1412 votes
> in
> Kiang East while the APRC got 1377 votes. The
> difference was only 35 votes.
> In cental Baddibu the UDP got 3192 votes in 1997
> while
> APRC polled 2298 votes. The difference was 894 votes
> in favour of the UDP.
>
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