Jeng and Jassey-Conteh, I thank you both for the pragmatic and insightful
manner you are approaching this latest development in our soon-to-end
struggle to get rid of the menace in our society (Yaya). Jeng, like you, I
also believe that this is the ‘wild-card’ that is going to spell Yaya’s
doom. As soon as he abrogated this repugnant Decree, I knew the moron has
yet again dealt a devastating blow to himself. The Opposition should run
with this latest debacle. I am encouraged by news from the ground. Almost
all the voters (grassroots) are calling upon the Opposition leaders to
unite. I believe the Diaspora made a convincing case to our leaders and the
voters on the ground also bought into the idea. Yaya is finish. We only need
to field a presidential candidate to deal the vermin the final blow.
I think Jassey-Conteh makes a practical suggestion about calling for a
‘congress’ or a ‘primary’ to select a leader. Few months ago, I would have
totally subscribed to the idea of a primary elections among the Opposition
leaders. However, in light of the time constraints and the Opposition’s
inability to match Yaya’s huge war-chest (stolen from taxpayers), I think
other means should be explored in order to choose a leader. I believe the
Parties can come together behind closed doors and present their respective
cases. With a clean heart and the interest of the country at the forefront,
these leaders should NOT have difficulties doing what is right for the
country. Let the most ‘electable’ man lead. This is easier said than done,
but I pray to God to grant wisdom to our leaders to do what is right as soon
as possible.
Thanks again for your invaluable contributions.
KB
>From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Jawara --- Come-back Kid?
>Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 06:10:35 -0400
>
>Mr. Dampha:
>
>If Sir Dawda decides to return to The Gambia, it will be a welcome
>news for the opposition. We must collectively work together to
>free The Gambia.
>
>Since many exiled politicians are not registered to vote, I am
>thinking that we should have a caretaker government. The
>opposition should choose a candidate who is electible. My
>biggest fear is that some members of the opposition have already
>chosen their presidential candidate. This I predict will be the
>biggest problem for us.
>
>If we are serious about a united opposition, it does not make
>sense for the unbanned politicians to be denied the right to seek
> the presidency. We should have a congress or may be a primary to
> choose a single opposition candidate, who can serve as a caretaker
> president for a six month period.
>
>Naphiyo,
>
>Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
>Greensboro, NC/Kombo East Constituency
>
>Original Message:
>-----------------
>From: Musa Jeng [log in to unmask]
>Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:48:15 -0400
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Jawara --- Come-back Kid?
>
>
>Unseating an incumbent Government in Africa can be a very difficult ordeal.
>Obviously, there
>are hosts of reasons, one in particular is what Ndey Jobarteh referred in
>her posting, the politics of
>Patronage. The electorate making what they consider as a wise decision,
>ridding with a winning horse, which
>is usually the party with the media, the government, the development
>programs, the arbiter of law and order
>and all the other perceived benefits that come with it. There is also
>another important phenomena, especially
>in Africa, people’s emotional and psychological inclination of who should
>be the leader. This person is seen
>as a messiah, who is somehow ordained to govern, a personality cult-like,
>and to go against that force is
>seen as going against the will of God, or nature, take your pick.
>
>Unfortunately, seven years of misrule has given Yaya Jammeh, like any
>other African despot these
>aforementioned advantages. And with all the political strategizing and
>punditry about the October Election,
>the wild card that can make all the difference is in Mr.Dampha’s piece, the
>return of Jawara. For starters, I
>am not a supporter of Jawara, and my analysis is purely an opinion that I
>strongly believe can help in the
>unseating of President Jammeh, which I am frustratingly looking forward to.
>President Jawara is one
>individual who was once seen as a messiah, a winning horse and was seen as
>ordained by some force to govern.
>This is one individual who can still connect with the Gambian electorate.
>He has effectively done it for
>thirty years, and this is something not to underestimate. For a moment
>forget about pros and cons of his
>thirty-year rule, what he has done wrong or right, and focus only on the
>political chessboard. I consider
>myself a fairly sophisticated follower of Gambian politics, politically
>speaking, and also not a supporter of
>President Jawara. Two years ago, I had an opportunity to attend a rally
>conference in Atlanta, in fact I
>reported to the GL about that meeting. I went into that conference with my
>anti-Jawara sentiments and left
>that meeting, not a born again Jawara supporter, but at least respected his
>argument. I am totally convinced
>that the man has what it takes to connect with the Gambian people. As
>Dampha indicated, he is one person that
>can vindicate the PPP Government, or at least defend his record. Jawara is
>one person that can be very
>effective in finally challenging the APRC government from Banjul to Koina,
>not as a leader of the Opposition,
>but as one of the leaders of the Alliance party to unseat Jammeh’s misrule.
>Gambians will come out in droves
>to listen to the ex- President and this will give him an opportunity to
>tell his side of the story. I
>personally believe that this is one wild card that would be politically
>suicidal for the opposition not to
>play. Oh! I know of the counter argument, a political has been, been their
>for thirty years, corruption,
>political cammatose and all the other yada yada yada, and I have personally
>made that case before and can
>still make them, but not in this vein, and still look what the alternative
>is. At this crossroad of our
>country’s political, economical and survival in every aspect, I honestly
>believe that the ex-President can
>play a vital role in making it possible for the Opposition to win come
>October 2001
>
>Mr.Dampha, in his piece mentioned security and safety of the ex-President,
>and to that I will say,
>Mr.President, you owe that much to the Gambian people, and this is one move
>worth risking your own life. And
>if you if you fail to take this opportunity and go back to the Gambia and
>fight for your believes, you will
>never forgive yourself. Remember that the Gambian people are yet to hear
>your own defense from the horse’s
>mouth, and win or loose that is worth all the risks in the world. Frankly,
>Gambia belongs to all of us, and
>who governs should be peacefully decided by the people, and no single
>individual should have a monopoly on
>this, and maybe it is time for Jammeh and everyone else to know that this
>country belongs to all of us.
>Finally, my political instincts tells me this election is still for Jammeh
>to win, but with the Jawara twist
>under the leadership of Ousainou Darboe, the Opposition can win by a land
>slide, and for that to happen, it
>should be all out war for the future of our country.
>
>Musa Jeng
>
>
>
>Dampha Kebba wrote:
>
> > News from the BBC that Jawara might go to Gambia in time for the October
> > Election, is a welcomed one. Here is a chance for the man to vindicate
> > himself. Power was unlawfully usurped from him by a bunch of bandits
>seven
> > years ago. These low-lives should NOT prevent him from going back to the
> > country he worked for for the better part of his productive life. There
>are
> > still many people in the country that love the ex-president. Those
>people
> > should come together with the current Opposition and give the elder
> > statesman a hero’s welcome.
> >
> > These bandits currently running our country have nothing over Jawara.
> > According to the White Paper that was supposed to impose a ban on
>Jawara’s
> > political activities, the only corruption this government is accusing
>Jawara
> > of, is the transfer of Jawara’s life savings from the then Meridien Bank
> > after the president left the country. Nothing was said about crude oil
>or
> > other corrupt activities these bandits were talking about in order to
> > justify hijacking our country.
> >
> > The Opposition on the ground should set up a tight security apparatus
>for
> > the former president. The international community should be lobbied to
>hold
> > Yaya responsible for the safety and welfare of Jawara if he decides to
> > return to the country. If anything happens to him, Yaya should pay with
>his
> > own life. I am confident that nothing will happen to Jawara, just like
> > nothing happened to other Decree 89 politicians. The cowards now know
>that
> > they will be held accountable for their actions. It has began to dawn on
> > them that this party is over. Pretty soon, they will be hoist in courts
>to
> > account for their crimes. They know that.
> >
> > I respectfully counsel the current Opposition leaders to engage OJ and
>other
> > PPP members in the country and encourage them to convince Jawara to come
> > back home and return to political life. The Opposition can work with the
>PPP
> > militants and the diplomats in the country to ensure Jawara’s safety.
>Once
> > he is in the country, the Opposition should provide him with a stellar
> > security detail and encourage him to tour the country and campaign for
>the
> > presidential candidate the current Opposition is going to field in the
> > coming election. Who best to defend the PPP record and discredit these
>APRC
> > bandits than Jawara himself? Jawara owe it to the Gambian people to
>explain
> > how well his government was doing before these bandits stepped in to
>render
> > the country backward and end up making the Gambian people poorer than
>they
> > were seven years ago. Jawara should explain what he would have done if
>he
> > was the president the last seven years with millions of dollars of debt
>and
> > aid money coming into the country. In short, Jawara should tackle APRC
>if
> > they want to run on the PPP record, while the current Opposition focus
>on
> > their plan for the country and Yaya’s mishandling of the country the
>past
> > seven years.
> >
> > History will treat Jawara kindly if he returns to the country and
>selflessly
> > helps to get rid of Yaya. But his return should be premised on an
>adequate
> > security apparatus to be put in place by an Opposition Alliance. The
>current
> > Opposition should field a presidential candidate as soon as possible and
>ask
> > for the support of the Decree 89 politicians. One of the promises the
>next
> > president might want to give the Decree 89 politicians is that the age
>limit
> > for presidential candidates will be eradicated. With the imposition of
>term
> > limits, we do NOT need this upper age limit. That is one concession that
> > might be attractive to the Decree 89 politicians that Yaya CANNOT give
>them.
> > There are many more which I trust our leaders on the ground will
>negotiate
> > on as soon as possible in their quest to form an Opposition Alliance
>between
> > Decree 89 politicians and the current Opposition.
> >
> > Finally, I hope the current Opposition sees Jawara’s impending return as
>a
> > positive thing for the Opposition. Let the man come and defend his
>record
> > and vindicate himself. The current Opposition should give him all the
> > support he needs in order to help the next presidential candidate defeat
> > Yaya.
> > KB
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
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