Coalition Leader Ousainou Darboe - Man of the Hour?




The Independent (Banjul)

INTERVIEW
August 31, 2001
Posted to the web August 31, 2001

Olufemi Jr
Banjul, the Gambia

Ousainou Darboe became a man of the limelight when he was called to lead the
coalition of opposition parties that are bent on making the greatest
political upset in Gambia's history by unseating President Jammeh. His
nomination was not free of acrimony, as other opposition parties felt
betrayed by the rest. But can Darboe present a great challenge to send
Jammeh packing? Only the next two months will tell.

Born in the late forties, Darboe attended Bansang primary school and went to
Saint Augustine's and Gambia High School, respectively for his high school
education. The most populous black nation (Nigeria) was his next stop where
he armed himself with an LLB (Hons) second class from the University of
Lagos and a BL from the Federal Law School of Nigeria. Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana
was his next destination where he gained know-how in legislative drafting
before making it to the land of the maple trees (Canada) for an LLM from the
University of Ottawa.




Once a legal draftsman in private practice for over two decades, Darboe, in
this Portrait, spilled his mind on why he took refuge in the Senegalese
embassy when the political heat was on five years ago, and why Jammeh would
be unseated.

Why law?

Actually, I was brought up in the home of three prominent Gambian lawyers,
namely the late P.S Njie, the late Sidi Njie and the late S.A Njie. When I
was in secondary school, I was more interested in history and philosophy.
However, in 1968, when I was in the sixth form, I went to the court house
and I saw the late S.F Njie and A.S.B Saho arguing in a court proceeding. I
was very much fascinated by their prowess and their fluency in the language.
I then decided that rather than becoming a student of history and
philosophy, I would become a lawyer. The late P.S Njie encouraged me to read
law.

But you are now in politics. Why?

I went into politics because a large section of informed Gambians approached
me to lead a party which they were about to register. I agreed after
consulting members of my family and close friends. I also believe that we
should not give in to military rulers with the ambition to translate
themselves into civilian rulers.

These informed Gambians - what qualities did they see in you?

Well, I don't think I should answer that. They saw the qualities that they
consider proper to want me to lead them. Thus they know about this - not me.

The UDP was only three weeks old but polled a large amount of votes. What
was the secret?

Well, it was simply because of the confidence the people have in me and the
party, including the total rejection of the Jammeh administration.

Why did you take refuge in the Senegalese embassy?

The senior administrative secretary of the party was privy to some
information that the military junta knew that they would lose the elections
and that they wanted to get rid of the top brass of the UDP. At that time
around, we did not have our security apparatus in place. Now we have very
good and strong security apparatus.

Do you believe that the 1996 elections were free and fair?

Well, we made our position clear on that: we have always condemned it as it
was an election that was neither free nor fair and it was not transparent.

After October 18, would we see a UDP government in power?

Well, we are just waiting for that day when we will have a UDP
administration in power. It will be a government for the people. By God's
grace, come October 18, we will have a new administration.

Do you have the backing of the masses?

Naturally, that was why we said come October 18, we would have a UDP
administration because we have the support and backing of the Gambian
electorate.

Not all the opposition parties are under one umbrella. Will this not split
the vote in favour of the APRC?

I don't think so. In fact in the past few weeks, we have seen people leaving
the APRC for our party. So, it is not a question of splitting the votes but
the APRC losing the courts.

Have you met President Jammeh personally?

Well, we've met in public either once or twice. That's all.

Is there something Jammeh did that you appreciate?

To be honest I have applauded his peace initiatives in the sub-region. I
have also suggested that to bring these initiatives to fruition,
particularly the Casamance, we should have a joint border patrol with the
Senegalese.

But it seems all has come to naught after General Ansumana Manč was killed
in Guinea Bissau, and the Casamance imbroglio is still what it was - a case
of hasty landing?

Let us say that it has not come to naught. Though what had been aimed at has
not been achieved but there is no harm in trying and I would urge him to
continue to try.

Was it a rude shock that Jammeh accused the UDP of masterminding last year's
student riots, which left over a dozen dead?

It did not come as a shock to me after all. If you look at the term of
reference, the commission was trying to find out whether any person or
persons were behind the riots. This is what you expect from desperate
people. They have done their blunders, murdered innocent people. This is on
their conscience, they cannot sleep so they want to shift the blame on
innocent people. We are fathers and our children were in school on that day.
The UDP leadership and all those who constitute the party are not
irresponsible to put our children on such a dangerous risk. We will never do
it. Though he did not mention the UDP saying it's the opposition instead, he
meant us and that was a very irresponsible statement from him.

So, it was a case of looking for a scapegoat and he didn't have to look far?

Well, in fact the UDP could never have been used as scapegoat. They
themselves know who were responsible, they masterminded the murder. The
shocks and cries of the mothers who lost their children, the late Omar
Barrow's wife and daughter, who would forever miss the love of a father,
those responsible for this would be brought to book one day whether now or
later.

What do you make of Joseph Joof's statement that you are not qualified to
run for the presidency?

(Smiles) I think that is another irresponsible statement. It clearly reveals
that the SOS for Justice doesn't understand the constitution, which doesn't
surprise me because he has never argued a single constitutional case in this
country.

Being the SOS for Justice, are you bothered that he might try to block your
path to the highest office on the land?

He doesn't have any power to stop me from contesting the elections. If he
wants to challenge my nomination, let him go to the courts and then we will
know how devoid of merit his contention is.

Taking a stroll down memory lane can you explain what exactly happened in
Basse in June 2000?

What exactly happened is before the courts and we would not speak about it
now.

What went through you when Decree 89 was lifted, considering that members of
the formerly banned parties had joined the UDP?

When the ban was lifted, I welcomed it with joy as it was an accomplishment
of our crusade. Since 1997, we have been fighting for the decree to be
lifted.

Has the UDP suffered any loses, yet?

No, we have not. Instead, we gained because the proper democratization that
we wanted in this country for the Gambian people to have a wide spectrum
from which to choose their leaders was in place. Thus, it was far from
diminishing the UDP, at all.

Is the coalition you head strong enough to send Jammeh crashing?

You see, the three parties that make up the coalition. One is even enough to
send him crashing. So, with the three together, we would not only send him
crashing, we would crush him!

Wouldn't your chances have been better if all the opposition had merged as
one political force?

Absolutely, it would have made the crushing even more complete. After all,
if anything, these parties have more in common than differences. We all have
one aim to get rid of the Jammeh administration and put in place the one
that Gambians deserve.

What do you make of Bharat Joshi's expulsion?

It was a terrible diplomatic blunder and I hope that the Gambia government
would reverse its decision. It would not be a defeat to them as it would be
in the best interest of Gambians.

Won't it seem like eating humble pie if they reversed that decision?

No, I don't think so. When mature people make wrong decisions they correct
it, which is not a sign of weakness. I urge the government to reconsider its
decision and allow Joshi back to do his work.

Why wasn't the UDP able to capture both seats in the March bye-elections?

We lost Kiang, which is a small constituency because the entire government
machinery campaigned there. There were allegations of bribery, the
inducement of voters which accounted for losing Kiang East. If you look at
the amount of votes cast, you will know that the authorities took steps in
suppressing the votes in that area.

As you put it, the entire government machinery was used. If this is repeated
in October won't Jammeh stay in power?

They do not have that capacity. The population of Kiang is small and so is
its area. You can even go round it three times a day and hold meetings, if
you want. That sort of thing, you cannot do in the case of the whole
country. We've seen what is happening to these rallies in Banjul and other
areas. You cannot use the entire government machinery to clamp down on the
voters throughout the country. That is not possible.

But remember they have the nation's coffers at hand?

Well, yes, we know that but how strong are the nation's coffers? Would they
go to the treasury and the Central Bank, take out the money to bribe voters
and leave the salaries of civil servants unpaid and other essential services
such as medication, the fuel for Kotu Power Station? They cannot afford to
do that. If they do, those people whom they are bribing will turn against
them.

Is it proper for the government to say ex-president Jawara must face a
commission of inquiry after already being tried in absentia?

Well, at this time, you can expect the Jammeh administration to say
anything! They wake up with dreams and are in a state of confusion. Why take
ex-president Jawara to the commission - for what? He has been tried in
absentia and all his properties confiscated. He has taken the government to
the African Commission for Human and People's Rights, which investigated the
activities of the government as against President Jawara and except for one
complaint, all the rest were substantiated and proven. So if anybody should
be taken before a commission for mishandling the affairs of the nation, it
is not ex-president Jawara.

Where were you on 22nd July 1994?

I was in my house getting ready to go to work when somebody told me it
didn't appear as if things were normal. Nonetheless, I came to Banjul.
However, when I wanted to perform the Friday prayers, I saw some soldiers
and I thought I should not take the risk. So I stayed till 6pm when it was
reasonably safe for me to go back home.

Jammeh loudly made his dislike for politics clear but then contested the
elections at the eleventh hour. Was it a surprise?

No, it was not. It is very common for the military to say they are not
interested in politics and that they have come to cleanse only to transform
themselves into civilians. Those of us who knew how the military operates
did not heed his statement because he was preparing a stage to perpetuate
military rule either by himself or someone else?

Does his six-feet-deep threat bother you?

We've been hearing this since October 1995. So, really it has become a part
of Gambian society! It doesn't surprise anybody when he goes into such
tantrums. You would say, oh! He is at it again!

So is it like the harmless barking of a toothless bull dog?

I wouldn't say so because in April last year, many of our kids went six feet
down. It is not a case of a toothless dog barking. He has demonstrated it by
sending our innocent children six feet deep!

What do you like about him though?

(Hesitates) Well, you see, you have to know somebody very well to be able to
like him. I have never known President Jammeh enough as a person to say what
I like or hate about him.




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