Halifa Sallah,
Before any revisitation to some of your response to Rena,Ousman and my
self,i have to salute to you for the unusual gentleness in your response to
mine.Thank you sir, for avoiding foul language or bad mouthing.Thank you
also for respecting my opinion ,that is a good sign.People should learn to
agree to disagree and respect each other´s opinion even if one is not
subscribing to that opinion.I only wish you will continue on that
footing.Halifa, i must confess that i am not a politician nor an
intellectual but a working woman(working class woman) who sweat very well
for the means to meet the end.However,i have alway the interest on both the
ideas and the political behavior of individuals who seek to govern our
belove country and her people.I would probably have not even know your name
if you were not in the national politics of our belove country, and so what
i was emphasising is that, be it Saul ,Hamjatta or any Gambian as that
matter have a right to question your political stands especially when your
positions and relation with Jammeh´s regime is seemly differ to that of
Jawara´s.Halifa, it is fact that you are in more political lime light now
than before.It is equally true that you were the only old (first republic)
politician who did functioned during the transitional period.My dear
politician - Halifa,two wrongs make no right,1996 constitution being better
than 1970 constitution doesn't´t justify the adoption of the
former(1996).Gambia definitely needs a better one than this one.What made
Jammeh to surrender to two years in oppose to his four years "times table"
could have force him to that of better constitution if only fear of military
footdraging or national disintegration was not use and manipulated by
`yes`supporters.
You wrote:The vast majority of youths were dissatisfied that I did not
accept a ministerial post. In fact, PDOIS lost a lot of votes
to APRC precisely because the APR Carried out the campaign that
we were unwilling to collaborate with the new regime even though we used to
criticise Jawara.
My comments:I don´t get the logic, until and unless you are saying that the
vast majority of youths did not understand your ideas,points,stand and
politics.And if that is the case,then you were either ineffective or too
advance for the youths,isn't? But what about none youths? Your logic doesn't
seems to apply to Kemeseng Jammeh,Abu Kassama and your own "comrade" Sidia
Jatta on the constituency plate form -does it?
Your wrote:Of course, relying on the type of people some of them project as
heroes, one can understand the nature of their political
leanings. However, as far as I am concerned, every human being is
free to engage me on this forum. I would be very happy if no one tries to
defend me:I have had to send personal mails to people so that they will not
step into this issue.This is a very fortunate development and i am highly
inspired that the execise is taking place.
My comments:Who is project who as a hero?All what i was saying is that most
of the people whom i mentioned did suffered physically more than you did,i
believes ,go ahead and prove me wrong.It is not the question of their
political believes,moral or stands but the question of the suffering.Most of
these people were tortured and some of them are in their grave because of
the beatings and tortures,yet there was or is any boastful statements like
"tasting every except death".No human being should be tortured not even
Yahya Jammeh or Dauda Jawara.Halifa allow your friends,supporters ,followers
or"comrades" to defend you if they can but as you mentioned,trying to defend
the indefensible is to sink into frivolity, and i hope you and the people
who wants to defend you will not be guilty of that(sink into frivolity)
You wrote:You have mentioned the suffering of many people. There is no where
that I have claimed that I have suffered more than anybody
My comments:Yes, you haven´t mentioned that you suffered more than any body
but you did mentioned that you tasted every thing except death,didn't
you.Were you physically tortured to the point of loosing a part of your
body?Were you tortured to the point of paralyzing?Were you jail or sentence
to the prison for a period of one year or more?Yes,some of the people i
mentioned did suffered so much yet they have not claimed to tasted every
thing except death.So what have you tasted which is next to death, don´t you
think that your statement is a little bit of bluff?
You wrote:Nobody can close the mouth of anyone. When the term is utilised,
it simple means that when one has nothing to defend one must keep quiet; to
continue to defend the indefensible is to sink into frivolity.
My comments:Good,you can also express yourself gently.You need to work hard
to put your critics to a defensive since it is you who is in defensive
corner.Do you really believes that you can make your critics to be quiet,i
believe that will be hell lot of work and good luck.
You wrote:Fatou, you did mention about Koro Ceesay. FOROYAA is a newspaper.
It has reporters and editors. When its reporters investigate a case and are
ready to stand by their reports, we the editors have no choice but to
publish their findings. When we published the findings of our reporters, we
concluded with an editorial comment that we could not come with any
conclusive evidence; that even though the findings of reporters seem to
indicate
an accident, a Coroner's Inquest was essential to establish the
cause of death. This is what the editorial of FOROYAA indicated. This
is a legitimate position which covers us if findings went either way. We
trusted our reporters and knew that they reported what was known to them in
good faith, in the public interest.
My comments:Oh, the poor reporters of yours,are they to be blamed for your
unconclusive evidence.Aren't´t you saying that you were writing for the sake
of writing hence you cannot come to any conclusive evidence.Wouldn't you
save your self from all that troubles by not writing hence you have no
conclusive evidence?Halifa Sallah,probably it was exciting for you with the
socalled investigative journalism if not Colombo(film actor) type of
investigation but do you correctly reflect that Koro Ceesay´s death is a
reality which marked untold pain on his family and love ones?A pain which
cannot be measured
You wrote:You have mentioned that my role during the coup period should be
questioned.You claimed that I was the only one who was allowed to
function.Don´t you means that we were the only ones who earned respect by
taking a principaled stand when the coup occurred and then defied the ban on
Decree No.4 while your"Foday Dusubas# handed themselves to the military and
pledged their support?
My comments:Tell me who else of the first republic politician was allowed to
function other than Halifa Sallh during the transitional period ? Don´t tell
me of the liking of Buba Baldeh who sang Jammeh´s music.Sir, i am afraid
that i have to ask you why your defied of the decrees were limited to only
decree Nr.4 not decree 1,2, 3 and the rest or even the cuop it self. Or
were you in agreement with the rest of the decrees?You will be more of hero
if your defying of the decrees were not limited.Halifa,yes you have defied
the decree Nr.4 but was it not a mere show off or was it motivated by an
economic interest hence Foroyaa presumable is an economic resources also.Do
you think you have the same fate or treatment in the hands of the police
like those ordinary people (Joberteh & co.) who were deceived to demonstrate
for the discredit PPP ? I just ask,was your defying of decree Nr.4 not a
turning point? Hope you will tell more which will be understandable and
impressive.
You wrote:Our rallies were marked by speeches which the people could
understand.This is precisely what we are doing today.
In our view, the Gambian people should cast their votes for any party which
has the programme to eradicate their poverty. Hence, we are
not competing with anyone. We are simply putting our message across to the
people. If they trust that the programmes we put before them can address
their needs and aspirations and that we are the type of people who can
address their needs and aspirations, they may vote for us. In five years,
they should be able to determine whether our words will match our deeds. If
our words fail to match our deeds, they have every justification to boot us
out. This is a very simple process. It does not need anybody to be a
"Dusuba", or a "Number One".
My comments:Well , if you claimed that you are not competing,i am afraid i
have not much to add but the fact remains that you have unsuccessfully
stood for an elections .It also seems that either your message has not come
across to the people or they(people) simple rejected it.However that seems
not in line with your statement like-"Our rallies were marked by speeches
which the people could understand.This is precisely what we are doing
today."
You wrote:How am I to handle such a tendency other than to sweep their
thrash in the dust bin? I will never get tired of this.
My comments:Is it an other bluff?I hope you have a good place for the dust
bin so to avoid eventual explosion.Go ahead.
You wrote:The dust will soon settle and all of us will look at truth
squarwly in the face
My comments:I am yet to see that ,and when that will be as the soon have
been ringing in our ears for sometimes now. In the first republic, the
critics might called you names like day dreamers,communist,arrogant,bluff
etc but no one in his or her correct mind will question your political
moral,stand or honesty,so, do you ever think why all of sudden critics are
doubting every thing that seemly made you different from all our
politicians?Good luck and make my dag.
Halifa,there is no doubt in my mind that Jawara`s regime was very
corrupted,irresponsible and political bankrupt and so is Jammeh´s regime but
the scale of the human right abuses including tortures and murders under
Jammeh make it all different.So i disagree with your notion that APRC is a
continuation of PPP.It might be difficult to refute that Jammeh´s is a
creation of Jawara´s ,but a continuation, that is really refutable. Finally,
Halifa, if i were in your situation,i would take the courage an apologise to
Koro Ceasay´s family and love ones by telling them to forgive me for putting
my "mouth" into the death of Koro which i have no knowledge nor the
possibility of investigating.That certainly will be noble and humble act in
good faith.What do you think :)?
Greetings
FC
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