Jabou,
          Democracy calls for an independent minded and informed citizenry.
You are displaying what it requires to be a sovereign person. The
sovereignty of our republic is inconceivable without each Gambian man and
woman taking ownership of his or her mind and frees it from any form of
manipulation. This requires the apprehending of information from diverse
sources and the utilisation of one's mind to scrutinise the facts and draw
one's own conclusions.
You have displayed that capacity and I hope that this trend continues for
all times. If all of us are capable of speaking out without trying to
please anyone. We will always be able appreciate the truth regardless from
what source it is derived.
Our basic problem is that many people say what they do not mean and mean
what they do not say. Only our clarity can be our guide. I must say that
you owe us no apology. I am sure you know that and you did so as a sign of
humility just to reinforce trust. We need a Gambia where sincerity and
respect would characterise the relationship of all those who have the
interest of the nation at heart. I am willing to answer any question or
doubt you may have either through the L or by direct correspondence. You
are free to point out any thing you find wanting. Only the truth can set
the nation free. The facts regarding meetings to establish a coalition is
clear to all. The Gambian media is very vibrant. Citizen FM has interviewed
all stakeholders. Radio 1 FM invited me last week and I insisted all
stakeholders ought to be present to discuss the matter. We will try to
record the programme and send it abroad so that people will hear the truth
from the stakeholders themselves. Manipulation of facts is no longer
possible.
The genuine agenda for the Gambian people is not a power sharing agenda
where political elites decide how to share the national cake; it is the
agenda to empower the people so that they can take their share as their
birth right. As the people take charge of their destiny it will become
clear who their true sons and daughters are. I have no doubt if you
continue to think independently, critically and positively you will be
among those who will continue to contribute to the establishment of a
country which can guarantee her people liberty, dignity and prosperity.

Greetings!
Halifa Sallah.


----------
> From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: My apology and take on the so-called opposition Alliance
> Date: Sunday, August 26, 2001 7:40 PM
>
> My couple of days leave turned into a week as I juggled my role as a
single
> mom to prepare two daughters to go back to college and two boys for a new
> high school year.
> I see that the debate rages on, and it seems that things are definitely
> headed for the worse, as the opposition coalition that was supposed to be
an
> emergency temporary fix to eject a dictator and  prepare ourselves for
> normalcy with the participation of all opposition parties, has been
hijacked
> by the PPP using the UDP as their vehicle to accomplish the devious feat.
The
> PPP is attempting to ride the UDP like a camel back into power.
>
> With this quote below from Mr Halifa Sallah, and with the explanations
> rendered by the Honourable S.M.Dibba, I would first of all like to render
a
> sincere apology both to PDOIS and to Mr S.M.Dibba for my assumptions that
> these political parties were the ones standing in the way of a united
> opposition.
>
> On  August 20, 2001 Sheikh Al-Kinky Sanyang, The Independent Newspaper
> Banjul, the Gambia
>
> As the coalition of opposition parties is riddled in political turmoil,
the
> Peoples' Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)
have
> spelt out their position. Speaking to The Independent at their Bundungka
> Kunda bureau on Friday Halifa Sallah said their position was that
opposition
> parties must create an agenda to empower the people and then form a
coalition
> in the first or second round of the forthcoming October presidential
> elections. He said once there is an agenda to empower the people, PDOIS
can
> always be part of any coalition, but would never help any party to come
to
> power just to preside over the ignorance, poverty and subjugation of the
> people. Mr. Sallah warned that a country needs a government, which is
> sensitive and responsive to the needs and aspirations of her people. He
also
> said that an alternative government, should be sensitive and responsive,
and
> shadowed by a mature opposition. Explaining PDOIS' absence at the
inter-party
> meeting of the opposition at the YMCA, Sallah said they did not receive
any
> letter of invitation and heard of the meeting after it had started. He
added
> that during a telephone conversation with the chairman of the meeting
Assan
> Musa Camara of the GPP they suggested for a postponement for at least a
day
> or two to enable them participate. But he added that to their surprise a
> press conference was held on that same day indicating that Darboe has
been
> selected to be the coalition's presidential candidate. 'In our view the
> opposition made a big blunder and instead of having a united opposition,
> factions have now developed," he charged. To convene a meeting of
opposition
> parties, Mr. Sallah suggested that each party should state its minimum
> programme for a coalition and where there are no points for agreement to
> dislodge the Jammeh administration they could still agree not to form a
> coalition in the first round by expressing intention to form it in the
second
> round. However, the renowned sociologist claimed that the fundamental
error
> made by the organizers was their failure to get the ideas of all
opposition
> parties regarding the meeting. He said PDOIS would have told them to form
an
> ad-hoc committee comprising the administrative secretaries of all the
> opposition parties and give them the mandate to prepare the venue, time
and
> agenda of the meeting. He added that a minimum guideline should have been
> prepared indicating the procedures to make a decision either by majority
vote
> or by consensus, which would require a unanimous vote. To encourage
> transparency, he said civic societies and organizations could have also
been
> invited to witness. "A coalition candidate selected under such
circumstances
> would have earned tremendous support, respect and authority," he
suggested.
> To still uphold the integrity of the opposition Mr. Sallah, revealed that
> PDOIS have written another proposal for a coalition to all opposition
parties
> based on the one year transition programme, comprising civic education
over
> radio and TV to enlighten the people to free them intimidation or
inducement.
> Further more, he noted that all political parties would have access to
radio
> and TV with a view to putting their programmes before the electorates
without
> insults or promoting any sectionalist feeling. According to Mr. Sallah
all
> constitutional and legal provisions hindering the pursuit of rights to
stand
> in election or to ensure redress or grievance would be repealed. He said
in
> that sequence elections would have been held after the expiration of
one-year
> term by the president of the coalition. He clearly pointed out that if
their
> proposal was not accepted PDOIS would go alone or consider alliance with
any
> political party, which agrees with the agenda to empower the people.
>
> This proposal by PDOIS above all else, is the only logical, sensible and
well
> meaning way forward.
>
> This alliance was supposed to include all the opposition  political
parties,
> and the efforts to assemble such an alliance was supposed to be done in
an
> honourable and transparent manner, with every effort being made and care
> being taken to ensure that a middle ground was reached. It was not meant
to
> be a vehicle of deceit, and a path for the PPP to come back int othe
lives of
> Gambians.
>
> Perhaps I was wrong in assuming that with talk of an opposition alliance,
all
> efforts were being made to ensure that the planning included all possible
> participants from the very onset, and that there were meetings conducted
> between  all of these parties. One just assumes that in such a situation
if
> there are no hidden agendas in play.
>
> I had also continuously asked questions regarding this coalition,
starting
> with Ousainou Darboe's visit to the U.S. When I spoke to him over the
> telephone, the first question I asked him was what his feelings were
> regarding a united opposition. His answer was " Jabou, how could we be
> opposed to a united coalition."
> After this, I continued to ask questions regarding this coalition, mostly
> from another individual who for all intents and purposes, I consider a
part
> of the UDP. This individual has always given me the impression that there
> were attempts being made to include all the opposition parties. He said
that
> PDOIS wanted to form a coalition in the second round of voting.The
> conversations I had with this individual gave me the impression that
there
> was definitlely ongoing contact between the opposition parties in an
attempt
> to form this coalition.
> I had also always assumed, that the proposed coalition government was to
be
> a short one, say one or two years as this made sense.
>
> It was not until after I posted my criticism of PDOIS and Mr S.M Dibba to
the
> list, that I spoke to this source again, and was informed that the UDP
> position on a coalition government was that it was to be a full term one.
I
> was shocked as this made it appear to me that the UDP was using the
occasion
> to have a full term government when this is supposed to be a temporary
one.
>
> The argument given was that if the coalition government was a short lived
> one, then it would not provide enough time to do away with all the
required
> reforms needed for a fresh round of elections. Also, that the parties
> involved in the coalition would be tied up with the business of running
the
> country and and preparing for any impending fresh round of elections
would be
> distracting.
>
> I was not aware of PDOIS' position on the term of the colaition
government of
> 1 year.
>
> It was also at this time that i found out that the meeting of the
opposition
> alliance called by Mr Assan Musa Camara was the very first time that all
the
> players in this alliance would have come together. I was shocked needless
to
> say, because I thought these guys surely must have been speaking to each
> other long before this.It was also at this time that I found out that
the
> reason PDOIS did not go to the meeting was that they said they were not
> properly invited.
>
> I am at a loss for words now when it has come to light,  that PDOIS
requested
> that the meeting be delayed so they can attend, and this did not happen.
I
> think that in itself speaks volumes about the intention of the conveners
of
> this meeting
>
> My answer to this individual was that it was necessary to do whatever it
> took, to get PDOIS to this meeting, as well as all of the other
opposition
> parties. I said that if it took spreading a red carpet from their door to
the
> meeting, this should be done because the whole idea was to make sure that
> things were done properly, and that everyone was in attendance at this
> meeting.
>
> I then commented that if all effort was done and some of the parties
still
> did not want to cooperate, then it made sense to just form an alliance of
> those who wanted to be in an alliance, because the this would have been
> hustified, and it would have been apparent that some of the parties would
not
> cooperate no matter wah effort was made.
> I said this because I believed that there was genuine sincererity and
effort
> being made to include all opposition parties in this effort, and that
> everything had been done in complete transparency all this while, with
talks,
> even though informal, including all opposition parties. I assumed that
PDOIS
> and S.M Dibba and others were dragging their feet despite such an effort.
I
> was dead wrong.
>
> I suggested that this meeting be reconvened, and that written invitations
be
> sent to all , especially because it was mentioned that PDOIS said they
had
> received only a verbal invitation. I asked why this was, and was told
that
> all of the opposition parties received verbal invitations from Assan Musa
> Camara.
>
> Given that this meeting was of national and historic importance, I was
very
> surprised to learn that verbal as opposed to written invitations were
given.
> It is even more interesting that Mr S.M Dibba said in his press release
that
> "PDOIS said they were not properly invited" This led me to wonder if the
> verbal invitation to all alike was true otherwise why would Mr Dibba
repeat
> this?
>
> At any rate, the conversation i had with this person unfortunately led me
to
> the conclusion that the decision to have a  coalition between the UDP and
PPP
> to the exclusion of the other opposition parties was a done deal, and
that
> there was no intention of making any attempts to reconvene the meeting
and to
> reach a middle ground. The UDP and PPP simply saw these disagreements
with
> PDOIS and Mr Dibba as an excuse to forge an alliance, and infact, this
was
> their intention all along from what I was able to gather, and the reason
I
> say this is because one cannot possibly form a united opposition based on
one
> meeting where two of the opposition parties they say they attempted to
> include were not in attendance, and one walked out due to disagrements on
the
> choice of the lead candidate.
>
> Infact, how is it that the choice for a lead candidate was even being
> considered at this initial time when all and sundry were not present?
Here
> were different political parties with differing ideologies on how to
govern
> meeting to form a colaition, and how anyone though that this could be
just a
> one time meeting  where conclusions could be drawnis also beyond belief.
The
> only logical conclusion would be that the UDP/PPP allinace had already
been
> cemented behind the scenes despite any denials.
> If sincerity in the attempt to form a true united opposition was the
agenda,
> the players in this would realize that it may take many meetings, and any
and
> every attempt to make sure everyone who is a player was present, and that
the
> agenda of just a party or two will not be the one they will agree on, but
> that everyone's ideas had to be taken into consideration and a compromise
> reached. Even my 14 year old son and his friends in the neighbourhood can
> tell you that elementary fact.
>
> I also learnt that "ideas for a coalition were floated between people
with
> similar objectives" and that this did not include all of the opposition
> parties. This fact, more than anything else, told me that perhaps the
idea
> had all along been to form a UDP/PPP alliance and the rest was just mere
> window dressing.
>
> The question then becomes this, is it not true that the more things
change,
> the more they stay the same? If these two parties are colluding to turn
> something that was supposed to be honourable and inclusive into a devious
> machinery to propel a certain group into power, does it then not hold
true
> that the same deviousness will continue once these people come into
power?
> This is especially so since their collaborators in this scheme, the PPP
> certainly used many devious means to stay in power for 30 years and the
UDP
> will now have us believe that they are a fresh new party with fresh new
ideas
> with the PPP in tow, and in view of the way this whole coalition idea is
> being handled by them ?
>
> Either the UDP is so clueless that they have no idea they are being used
by
> these power hungry and corrupt party stallworts who should have been
looking
> for ways to atone the many sins they have earned during their 30 years of
> misrule, instead of trying to orchestrate ways of returing to the same,
or
> the UDP has been a part of the PPP despite all their vehement denials all
> this while. Or, it could be that these two groups have decided that they
have
> something that they share in common, and which does not include the other
> political parties. Or it could just be that the  UDP is so desperate to
come
> into power that they will agree to such an unholy alliance just to get
there.
> The UDP tells us that they are a new and fresh party that deserves a
chance
> to show the Gambian people that they are about progress. How then does it
> make any sense for them to fall into bed with the PPP who have failed the
> Gambian people for 30 years, and are the very reasons that our counry is
in
> such a state of chaos today?
>
> The UDP says that they are about reform and progress, and yet, they have
> become the allies of those who have sent us back 35 years, and they did
it by
> less than honourable means.
>
> The same chaos will reign, this time coupled with a vengence that
surpasses
> that which was heaped upon the Gambian people by Sir Dawda after the
> attempted coup of 1981.
>
> It was after this coup, and after the IMF recommended a freeze in
government
> hiring that Jawara recruited high school graduates and sent them to
Sandhurst
> and various other military training facilities to form an army.
>
> Many have said that this army was to be the machinery for a police state
that
> Jawara was preparing to unleash upon the Gambian people because he felt
that
> they had abandoned him with the attempted coup of 1981.
>
> Some also say that this was one of the reasons the Farafeni barracks were
the
> army post attacked by Kukoi's men because it was the post that housed the
> army unit that was trained to subvert any form of rebellion.
>
> Gambians are still dispersed around the subregion and around the World as
a
> result of the retaliation and revenge that  ensued after the attempted
coup
> of 1981 and one can only imagine what other means of revenge a revamped
PPP
> will have unleash, and the Gambian people will be the loosers.
>
> Make no mistake, Yaya Jammeh and his ill gotten government are rogues and
> murderers, and should not get away with it, but the PPP is harly the
> machinery to bring justice to the Gambian people.
>
> One can only wonder at what state of mind the UDP was in when they
decided to
> join the PPP. What will the UDP do, join the PPP in hurling out revenge
once
> in power? Is this the progress they have in store for us?
>
> What about all the grievances that people have against the PPP? Will the
> UDP/PPP government tolerate an attempt by those wronged by the PPP to
have
> their day in court, or will they engage in covering up these allegations
> while they tell us that they are a fresh new party that is prepared to
bring
> progressive reforms.
>
> Progressive reforms cannot happen when blatant wrongs have not been
righted,
> and those who have committed crimes against the people properly
prosecuted
> according to laws that are not  subverted by special interest. There is
> nothing new and fresh in that.
>
> You see, after hearing the stories of these two parties, after conducting
my
> own research and asking yet more questions, and with the way the effort
to
> form a united coalition has unfolded, I have come to the conclusion that
yes,
> brother Halifa Sallah was indeed right that after doing my homework, I
would
> owe both of these parties an apology.
>
> For all intents and purposes, what has happened here is that the PPP has
at
> last found a way to ride back onto the political scene in The Gambia, and
> they are going to do it on the back of the UDP.This is the bottom line,
and
> no long winded oratory to explain away the unexplanable will change that.
> It is a dissappointing and very sad day for our country because it is
very
> apparent that special interes and greed for power is still the order of
the
> day.
> My only concousion is that PDOIS and the other opposition parties that
have
> been fanangled out of this so-called opposition allinace form their own
> alliance which will be focused on truely serving the interest of the
people
> because the UPD/PPP alliance is everything but that.
>
> Jabou Joh
> Nashville, Tennessee.
>
>
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