Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue

Issue No. 71/2005, 12-1 4 September, 2005



Editorial

CONFUSION! CONFUSION! CONFUSION!

IEC SHOULD NOT BE DISTRACTED

Mr. Chairman of the IEC, this is the moment for scrutiny. All sides that have something to criticize should do so and should find a keen listener in you. Take all criticisms, even those ones based on skepticism and doubts. Allay fears not by words but by practice. There is no need to defend a record until the end of the by-elections when all sides show appreciation for your performance.

The issues you have raised in your letter should be put in the right perspective.

The open letter from the IEC is a healthy democratic exercise. Accountability is a fundamental characteristic of democratic governance. Since the IEC is a public institution and its members are public servants they are expected to be accountable to the public.

In its letter to NADD Coordinator and copied to the press the IEC seems to be confused about the positions of FOROYAA, Hamat Bah and NADD.

It is Hamat Bah who held a press conference and made claims that 2, 500 voters had been transferred to Upper Saloum Constituency. IEC had provided figures regarding the number of transfers and replacements but if has not provided the list of transfers and replacements. If the figures are known what is holding the list. When will it be exposed for scrutiny? These are the issues that warranted me to call on the IEC to ignore the transfer and reply on the last register to conduct the by-elections. Now, the warnings are proving to be viable as the commission finds it difficult to come up with the list for scrutiny.

Furthermore, the issue of seizure of ID cards and voters cards is limited to the discriminatory intimidating tactics orchestrated in Upper Saloum. All that FOROYAA is saying is that where citizenship is in dispute the accused should be tried by courts and not be subjected to endless reporting to police stations. The law enabling any five elders to prepare a document to vouch for citizenship should be repealed.

Lastly, questions were raised regarding whether those whose names are not in registers of voters should vote. Clearly, the IEC should bear in mind that there can be fraudulent registration of voters by corrupt persons outside of the period established for registration. Such people will have voter’s cards without their names appearing in the register of voters. To allow such persons to vote is to give license to corrupt registration practices. The only way to guarantee that others will not infiltrate the process is to adhere to the registers of voters that are currently in place.

IEC’s credibility hinges on conducting a free and fair election. No one is putting it on the spot. People are simply expressing their concerns.



PRESS STATEMENT BY NADD

ON TRANSFERS OF VOTERS, THE PUBLICATION OF THE LIST OF VOTERS AND VOTING BY PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES DO NOT APPEAR IN THE REGISTER OF VOTERS

The National Alliance for Democracy and Development holds that the Independent Electoral Commission constitutes the most important institution for ensuring free and fair election in The Gambia.

The exposure of loopholes that could undermine the electoral process is not a means to discredit the IEC but to help it to build its integrity.

The NADD has looked at two factors concerning the By-elections of 29th September 2005.

One of the factors is the transfer of voters and the other is the status of those who possess voting cards but do not have their names registered in any register of voters.

NADD has raised concerns regarding the number of transfers and the period provided for scrutiny of the lists.  NADD has never given any figures regarding the number of transfers.  The information regarding 2500 transfers came from a conference given by Mr. Hamat Bah in his personal capacity.  NADD has maintained its position that the IEC should provide the list for scrutiny.  Up to today the IEC has only provided a cumulative figure of 263 transfers but had not provided the lists.

It is difficult for us to scrutinize the validity of the transfers without the list.  Since Monday 12th September 2005 is Nomination Day, NADD is calling on the IEC to rely on the head and supplementary registers prepared prior to the announcements of the dates of the by election to conduct the elections in the four constituencies.

Secondly, it is necessary to ensure that the voting system is not corrupted because of common sense understanding of the law governing elections. This is why in some elections in the past, people whose names did not appear in the register of voters were allowed to vote. This practice constituted a gross violation of the election laws and should have been the subject of an election petition.

The Elections Decree has made it clear that the persons who should vote are those whose names are entered in a register of voters.

The voting card provides identification of the person whose name appears in the register of voters. There is no room for the IEC to allow anyone to vote whose name is not in the register of voters.

Section 66 of the Elections Decree states: “The presiding officer, after satisfying himself that the name of a voter is in the copy of the part of the register of voters containing the names of the voters allotted to the polling station, shall subject to subsection (2), deliver a ballot token to the voter.”

Subsection (2) deals with the examination of the voter’s card just to ensure that the person with the card is the one whose name appears in a register of voters.

Subsection (5) adds: “Immediately before delivering a ballot token to a voter, the presiding officer shall (a) make a mark against the name of the voter on his copy of the register of voters to denote that such voter has received a ballot token and shall sign and date the reverse of the voter’s card; and (b) ensure that the voter’s thumb or other finger is marked with an indelible ink as an indication that the voter has voted.”

It is therefore abundantly clear that only a person whose name appears in the register of voters should vote.

The reason for this is simple. Registration of voters is a process which culminates with the preparation of a master register and its supplementary registers.

First and foremost, the person’s claim to be registered must be scrutinized. Once the registering officer is satisfied with the answers of the claimant his\her name has to be entered in a list of voters.

Section 21 further indicates: “Every claimant whose name is entered in the register of voters shall be issued a voting card which shall be in the form prescribed in Form 4 Schedule III and a counterfoil shall be prepared in accordance with Form 3 of the same Schedule….”in short, entitlement to voter’s card is subject to one’s name being entered in a register of voters.

Of course there may be omissions of the names of voters in a list after registration. Some may also be registered who are not entitled to be included. This is precisely why the list is subject to scrutiny.

Section 22(1) states: “A person who has made a claim to be registered as a voter and whose has been omitted from any list of voters…. shall within fourteen days from the date of publication of the list, appeal to the appropriate registering officer to have his name inserted…”

Furthermore, the registering officer shall as soon as practicable after the period of fourteen days specified in subsection (1) prepare and publish the list of all appeals.”

Section 24 indicates: “As soon as may be practicable after the lists mentioned are published , the Chief Justice shall, on the advice of the Commission, appoint a magistrate of the first class (a) to hold a court called a revising court; and (b) to hear and decide on appeals and objections.”

According to section 26, it is the duty of the revising court to correct any apparent errors or mistakes and reinstate the name of any person inadvertently omitted from the list.”

Once this exercise is completed and the original list is signed by the magistrate of a revising court or the Registering Officer where no magistrate had been appointed, such list becomes the master register or head register. Supplementary registration of voters also go through the same process both registers are collectively referred to as a register of voters. The voting cards issued to claimants are numbered serially to prevent any registration outside the legally established period for registration of voters.

In our view, there is no room for a person to appear on the day of voting with a voting card and be allowed to vote when one’s name does not appear in a register of voters.

What can be done is for such a case to be raised in court in pursuit of an election petition. The validity of an election victory could be inquired into by the courts.

Hence to avoid any confusion, it is necessary for the IEC to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Elections Decree and to take a firm position in not allowing any person to vote if one’s name does not appear in any register of voters.

COORDINATOR,

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT



8th September 2005.



NADD HOLDS PRESS BRIEFING

The National Alliance for Democracy and Development on Wednesday organised a press conference at the Poeple’s Centre in Churchill’s Town. Below is the speech of the Co-ordinator of the alliance, Halifa Sallah.

The Executive Committee of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) has unanimously endorsed the candidature of Mr. Halifa Sallah for Serrekunda Central, Mr. Kemeseng Jammeh for Jarra West, Mr. Hamat Bah for Upper Saloum and Mr. Sidia Jatta for Wuli West in the forthcoming by-elections. All four candidates are sponsored by NADD to contest the 29th September 2005 by-elections.

The Executive Committee of NADD came to this conclusion after a thorough review of the Supreme Court decision of the 8th July 2005 which states among other things that the four seats of the plaintiffs have become vacant having become members of a new political party other than the ones they were members at the time of their election into the National Assembly. The position of the Supreme Court Judges is summed up as follows:

“Every person shall have the right to freedom of association, which shall include freedom to form and join associations and unions including political parties and trade unions.”

In light of this clear constitutional provision we cannot and do not see anything wrong with the formation of NADD. The formation of NADD is the legitimate exercise of the inalienable and constitutional right of the founders and its members. No one can question that and we should not in any way be understood as expressing criticism or taking umbrage of NADD or its formation, its founders or members. We endorse it as a healthy exercise that may no doubt induce or buttress the democratic dispensation that is sought to be established in this country by the 1997 Constitution. What the judgment has sought to determine are the issues arising from the registration  of a party, the post registration of the founders and members of the party and the various obvious and inescapable consequences flowing from all these.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court summed up the legal implications of the registration of NADD as follows:

“The plaintiffs knew that they belonged to their original parties on whose platform they were elected to the National Assembly. That notwithstanding, they opted not only to join the new party called NADD, but signed papers to promote the registration of that new political party. They can only be deemed to have preferred NADD to their original party because NADD was later in time.”

The Supreme Court therefore decided that the plaintiffs “had ceased to become members of the party that elected them into the National Assembly and had become members of the new party which is different from their original parties.”

This finding of the Supreme Court gave rise to the final decision that “the seats of the plaintiffs have become vacant having become members of a new political party other than the ones they were members at the time of their election into the National Assembly.”

The Executive Committee of NADD decided to establish NADD because of the realisation that the President of the Republic had the aim to perpetuate himself in office by relying on the division of the opposition instead of his own popularity before the amendment of the constitution to eliminate the second round of voting opposition parties could put up Presidential candidates to test the popular will. It was conceivable for the Presidential candidates of the opposition to share 7% of the votes cast while the incumbent receives 30% of the votes cast. In the second round of voting those who cast their votes for other presidential candidates may shift their votes in favour of the opposition candidate with the highest number of votes as had happened in Senegal and Guinea Bissau. By amending the Gambian constitution the incumbent can now become president with only 30% of the votes cast if the opposition candidates share the 70% of the votes cast in a proportional manner. In short each of the
 five presidential candidates would have 14% of the votes cast while cumulatively the opposition would have received 70% of the total votes cast.

This realisation is what compelled the leaders of the opposition parties to call for tactical unity so that only one presidential candidate would be sponsored by the opposition.

Further discussion on this issue gave rise to two strategic decisions. The leaders of the opposition parties questioned whether there would be enough guarantee to put an end to self perpetuating rule of one party and its leader is supported by all the other parties. It was observed that any person who is elected under such an alliance may not submit to the will of the alliance. The leaders therefore concluded that the best guarantee was to establish an alliance under whose ticket all subsequent elections will be contested until the end of the term of office of the first President under the alliance. To ensure that no political party is disadvantaged the leaders agreed that the presidential candidate of the alliance will serve for a period of five years and will neither seek a second nor support any other candidate in the following presidential election to ensure a level ground for free and fair multi party contest.

The leaders agreed that the alliance shall implement a five year democratisation and development programme that will put in place the standards and culture of best practice in democratic governance which will be safeguarded by being a signatory to the memorandum establishing the Africa Peer Review Mechanism.

It was resolved that within five years the integrity of the country shall be acknowledged throughout the country to encourage local and foreign direct investment to promote sustainable development.

This is what gave rise to NADD.

The Executive Committee had to register NADD because of the demands of the law to register an association with the IEC before it can put up a candidate.

We realised that laws governing alliance and mergers were in the progress of consideration but had not been promulgated.

In the absence of the law for the registration of Alliance we turned to section 127 of the Elections Decree which states that

““where any issue arises relating to electoral matters which is not addressed by this decree or any other law, the commission shall resolve such issue in keeping with the standards and rulkes of natural justice and fairness.

The IEC registered the alliance as an umbrella party. This is how matters stood until the matter went before the Supreme Court to determine the validity of declaring the seats of the four opposition National Assembly members vacant.

The Executive Committee of NADD holds the view that what led to the vacancy of the seat was a matter of sacrifice for higher and not a predestined fatality. The members of the National Assembly could have resigned from NADD when the discussion ensued. They could have established a party led alliance. However, conscience and reason compelled them to agree to do what will be convincing to every discerning Gambian that the higher good can be attained.

This is precisely why the Executive Committee has accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court in good faith.

We concur with the view of the Supreme Court that NADD formation is a healthy exercise that may no doubt conduce to buttress the democratic dispensation that is sought to be established in this country by the 1997 Constitution.

The Executive Committee has therefore made some constitutional amendments to NADD Constitution. The original parties have held Executive Committee meeting or congresses to replace the members of their Executive Committee who are lost to the NADD. The four National Assembly members who have lost theirs seats took it as a sign of commitment to the future democratic dispensation of the country. They have revolved to participate in the forth coming by-elections under the umbrella of NADD after due consultation with their electorate. Their original parties have agreed to forge an alliance with NADD under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding after making a clear line of demarcation between the executives of the original parties and that of NADD.

Since the Supreme Court decision NADD has acted vigorously to combat all distortions of its position to build its integrity. It has engaged the IEC to enhance the independence of the institution and free it from being a hostage of the executive. Open letters to the President and IEC which are available to the press confirm our desire to have an IEC which is independent, transparent, transfers and replacement of voters’ cards that are in line with law, the elimination of the participation of magistrates and presidents of tribunals in party politics.

We have combated the climate of intimidation that was orchestrated by the executive. All these efforts culminated with the mediation efforts by the commonwealth through its special envoy General Abdusalam Abubacarr, former head of state of Nigeria. NADD has endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding and Code of Conduct drawn up with our participation under the auspices of the Commonwealth moral guarantee of the agreement with General Abdusalam Abubacarr. We hope that the by-elections will be conducted according to the rules and that a healthy multi party system will emerge after the results. In our view, the Supreme Court decision has left the country without a parliamentary opposition. This does not auger well for democracy. Without choice there can be no democracy. The Gambian people in the four constituencies are going to the polls to declare whether Gambia will be a one party state or a multi party democracy. This is not an ordinary election. This is why the press, civil society
 and the International Community should participate fully in ensuring that it is conducted in a free and fair manner.

NADD sees the prudent border problem as the failure of diplomacy under the ECOAWS Treaty and the Constitutional Act of the African Union. Collective sovereignty means negotiation on matters that may affect the integrity of two or more African countries. There is need for prudent consultation to prevent such differences from development to open conflicts.

The National Alliance for Democracy and Development on Wednesday organised a press conference at the Poeple’s Centre in Churchill’s Town. Below is the speech of the Co-ordinator of the alliance, Halifa Sallah.

The Executive Committee of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) has unanimously endorsed the candidature of Mr. Halifa Sallah for Serrekunda Central, Mr. Kemeseng Jammeh for Jarra West, Mr. Hamat Bah for Upper Saloum and Mr. Sidia Jatta for Wuli West in the forthcoming by-elections. All four candidates are sponsored by NADD to contest the 29th September 2005 by-elections.

The Executive Committee of NADD came to this conclusion after a thorough review of the Supreme Court decision of the 8th July 2005 which states among other things that the four seats of the plaintiffs have become vacant having become members of a new political party other than the ones they were members at the time of their election into the National Assembly. The position of the Supreme Court Judges is summed up as follows:

“Every person shall have the right to freedom of association, which shall include freedom to form and join associations and unions including political parties and trade unions.”

In light of this clear constitutional provision we cannot and do not see anything wrong with the formation of NADD. The formation of NADD is the legitimate exercise of the inalienable and constitutional right of the founders and its members. No one can question that and we should not in any way be understood as expressing criticism or taking umbrage of NADD or its formation, its founders or members. We endorse it as a healthy exercise that may no doubt induce or buttress the democratic dispensation that is sought to be established in this country by the 1997 Constitution. What the judgment has sought to determine are the issues arising from the registration  of a party, the post registration of the founders and members of the party and the various obvious and inescapable consequences flowing from all these.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court summed up the legal implications of the registration of NADD as follows:

“The plaintiffs knew that they belonged to their original parties on whose platform they were elected to the National Assembly. That notwithstanding, they opted not only to join the new party called NADD, but signed papers to promote the registration of that new political party. They can only be deemed to have preferred NADD to their original party because NADD was later in time.”

The Supreme Court therefore decided that the plaintiffs “had ceased to become members of the party that elected them into the National Assembly and had become members of the new party which is different from their original parties.”

This finding of the Supreme Court gave rise to the final decision that “the seats of the plaintiffs have become vacant having become members of a new political party other than the ones they were members at the time of their election into the National Assembly.”

The Executive Committee of NADD decided to establish NADD because of the realisation that the President of the Republic had the aim to perpetuate himself in office by relying on the division of the opposition instead of his own popularity before the amendment of the constitution to eliminate the second round of voting opposition parties could put up Presidential candidates to test the popular will. It was conceivable for the Presidential candidates of the opposition to share 7% of the votes cast while the incumbent receives 30% of the votes cast. In the second round of voting those who cast their votes for other presidential candidates may shift their votes in favour of the opposition candidate with the highest number of votes as had happened in Senegal and Guinea Bissau. By amending the Gambian constitution the incumbent can now become president with only 30% of the votes cast if the opposition candidates share the 70% of the votes cast in a proportional manner. In short each of the
 five presidential candidates would have 14% of the votes cast while cumulatively the opposition would have received 70% of the total votes cast.

This realisation is what compelled the leaders of the opposition parties to call for tactical unity so that only one presidential candidate would be sponsored by the opposition.

Further discussion on this issue gave rise to two strategic decisions. The leaders of the opposition parties questioned whether there would be enough guarantee to put an end to self perpetuating rule of one party and its leader is supported by all the other parties. It was observed that any person who is elected under such an alliance may not submit to the will of the alliance. The leaders therefore concluded that the best guarantee was to establish an alliance under whose ticket all subsequent elections will be contested until the end of the term of office of the first President under the alliance. To ensure that no political party is disadvantaged the leaders agreed that the presidential candidate of the alliance will serve for a period of five years and will neither seek a second nor support any other candidate in the following presidential election to ensure a level ground for free and fair multi party contest.

The leaders agreed that the alliance shall implement a five year democratisation and development programme that will put in place the standards and culture of best practice in democratic governance which will be safeguarded by being a signatory to the memorandum establishing the Africa Peer Review Mechanism.

It was resolved that within five years the integrity of the country shall be acknowledged throughout the country to encourage local and foreign direct investment to promote sustainable development.

This is what gave rise to NADD.

The Executive Committee had to register NADD because of the demands of the law to register an association with the IEC before it can put up a candidate.

We realised that laws governing alliance and mergers were in the progress of consideration but had not been promulgated.

In the absence of the law for the registration of Alliance we turned to section 127 of the Elections Decree which states that

““where any issue arises relating to electoral matters which is not addressed by this decree or any other law, the commission shall resolve such issue in keeping with the standards and rules of natural justice and fairness.

The IEC registered the alliance as an umbrella party. This is how matters stood until the matter went before the Supreme Court to determine the validity of declaring the seats of the four opposition National Assembly members vacant.

The Executive Committee of NADD holds the view that what led to the vacancy of the seat was a matter of sacrifice for higher and not a predestined fatality. The members of the National Assembly could have resigned from NADD when the discussion ensued. They could have established a party led alliance. However, conscience and reason compelled them to agree to do what will be convincing to every discerning Gambian that the higher good can be attained.

This is precisely why the Executive Committee has accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court in good faith.

We concur with the view of the Supreme Court that NADD formation is a healthy exercise that may no doubt conduce to buttress the democratic dispensation that is sought to be established in this country by the 1997 Constitution.

The Executive Committee has therefore made some constitutional amendments to NADD Constitution. The original parties have held Executive Committee meeting or congresses to replace the members of their Executive Committee who are lost to the NADD. The four National Assembly members who have lost theirs seats took it as a sign of commitment to the future democratic dispensation of the country. They have revolved to participate in the forth coming by-elections under the umbrella of NADD after due consultation with their electorate. Their original parties have agreed to forge an alliance with NADD under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding after making a clear line of demarcation between the executives of the original parties and that of NADD.

Since the Supreme Court decision NADD has acted vigorously to combat all distortions of its position to build its integrity. It has engaged the IEC to enhance the independence of the institution and free it from being a hostage of the executive. Open letters to the President and IEC which are available to the press confirm our desire to have an IEC which is independent, transparent, transfers and replacement of voters’ cards that are in line with law, the elimination of the participation of magistrates and presidents of tribunals in party politics.

We have combated the climate of intimidation that was orchestrated by the executive. All these efforts culminated with the mediation efforts by the commonwealth through its special envoy General Abdusalam Abubacarr, former head of state of Nigeria. NADD has endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding and Code of Conduct drawn up with our participation under the auspices of the Commonwealth moral guarantee of the agreement with General Abdusalam Abubacarr. We hope that the by-elections will be conducted according to the rules and that a healthy multi party system will emerge after the results. In our view, the Supreme Court decision has left the country without a parliamentary opposition. This does not auger well for democracy. Without choice there can be no democracy. The Gambian people in the four constituencies are going to the polls to declare whether Gambia will be a one party state or a multi party democracy. This is not an ordinary election. This is why the press, civil society
 and the International Community should participate fully in ensuring that it is conducted in a free and fair manner.

NADD sees the prudent border problem as the failure of diplomacy under the ECOAWS Treaty and the Constitutional Act of the African Union. Collective sovereignty means negotiation on matters that may affect the integrity of two or more African countries. There is need for prudent consultation to prevent such differences from development to open conflicts.



A CALL FOR NATIONAL DOCKWORKERS COUNCIL

 By Surakata Danso

The Secretary General of The Gambia dockworkers Union, Mr. Landing Sanyang has called for an end to the actualization of the dock Labour System whilst calling for an establishment of a National Dockworkers council. Secretary General Sanyang made this remark during a press conference at his union’s office at No 40 OAU Boulevard.

Mr. Sanyang told the press that the current Management of the GPA has finally solved the long standing dispute between the dockworkers and the GPA. He said that management has not only offered a 50% on the wages of dockworkers who work on night shifts but the following offers>

(1) Safety cages for dockworkers.

(2) 20 plots of land from Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation for dockworkers and similar arrangements are being made with the KMC.

(3)Involve dockworkers in the procurement processes of the GPA.

(4) Training packages are under way for dockworkers in Dakar.

(5) Dockworkers allocated a seat in the GPA board.

(6) Membership of the GPA safety committee etc.

The dockworkers’ Secretary further indicated that the latest development between the GPA and his union are as a result of some of the demands communicated to the GPA Management which were not heeded to until of recent by the current management.

That it was first on 4th July 2003 which his union  addressed a letter to  the management copied to the SoS for Works, Trade and Employment, Secretary General’s office of the President, all shipping agencies, National Security Council and their lawyers Borry Touray.

He asserted that despite the correspondence and a meeting with the National Security Council during which the GPA management was advised to make a difference between their nature of payments of day and night; that the same system continued until after the fatal death of Sanna Camara of Gang No 3 on the 16th July 2003 on board M.U. SAF MARINE CONCORD.

When he wrote to the current management demanding the following:

(1)        To avoid night shift without a 350% increase on night shift pay.

(2)        The provision of communication sets for gangways and watchmen.

(3)        Provision of a built up man cage to facilitate the movement of Dockers while toiling on board container ships.

He added that in same letter the management was notified that working day and night under the same wages contrary to the ILO standards and that it tantamount to forced labour.

On the issue of the offer of lacking a seat at the board, the Secretary General said it is unacceptable to the union in that it is a continuation of the GPA’s effort to understand the efforts of the union towards an independent body. That his recent trip to Nairobi in Kenya on 8th August 2005 was an international conference on Dockers work system on uniformity of command on board the vessel, wharf and at the level of the warehouse. Mr. Sanyang opined that this used to be the system in the 1960s but that it was later changed by the management of GPA all in their efforts to undermine the efforts to have a credible union; that the essence of the uniformity of dock labour scheme is to create single command structure over labour production. To avoid stagnation during work due to the different command structures on board the vessel, the wharf and the warehouse. That it will also close the disparity gap, e.g. 7 Euro per tonne and GPA’s pay of D9 per tonne thereby causing the dockworkers to
 lose D250 a tonne. He cited a case of a vessel called LAMTON PRIDE as an example when it brought a consignment of rice recently.

Mr. Sanyang finally called for the actualization of the dock labour scheme and called for an immediate establishment of a national dockworkers council. The Secretary General expressed his union’s gratitude to the Managing Director Momodou Lamin Gibba and the operations manager Ousman Jobarteh.





YOUTHS CALL ON ABBEY DIAMACOUNE

In Search of Peace for Africa

By Amie Sanneh

About 200 Youths last Thursday paid a courtesy call on the leader of the Cassamance movement Father Abbe Diamacooune Senghor at his residence in Ziguinchor. They also paid a courtesy call to the Vice President and Governor of Ziguinchor.

The purpose of the visit was to present to them a declaration which was prepared by Youths of Africa the Brikama Declaration. The declaration seeks to bring peace in Africa.

The visit was also part of the second international youth summer school camp organised by the Youth Ambassadors of Peace (YAP).

Upon meeting Father Diamacooune Senghor, the Secretary General of YAP Fabakary Kalleh said that young people can play a great role towards ensuring peace in our societies. He noted that the visit is to enhance peace in our continent.

For his part, Father Diamacooune Senghor who was very impressed with the visit described the visit as very important.

He said the Brikama Declaration, will be well taken note of to ensure everlasting peace in Africa as far as young people who are the future leaders are concern.

He however urged the youths not to only stop at presenting this declaration but to also practicalise their words on reaching their destinations.

After meeting with the former rebel leader they proceeded to the Governor of Ziguinchor Gorgui Mbaye who expressed the hope that with the participation of young people, there could be positive changes in Africa which will ensure everlasting peace.

He however stressed on the importance of peace among neighbours. “Young people are the future leaders of tomorrow. If they come up with good ideas, they should be supported, this will pave way for a good future,” he remarked.

He pointed out that there cannot be food security in the absence of peace.

The Governor however stressed on the importance of dialogue and the need for tolerance among young people. He also stressed on the importance of the Youth Camps, pointing out that it does not only bring young people together, but it also unite the which is manifested in the declaration.

Governor Mbaye challenged the youths to put their words into actions. “We hope that Africa has a future with the involvement of youths towards national development,” he said.

He added that, “this declaration you gave me will be given to the person responsible for the implementation of the words into actions. When the content of the declaration is achieved, it is not only the youths who will benefit, but also the adults, because it is a word of peace.”

After meeting and handing over the declaration to the Governor, the youths proceeded to the Vice President Conseil Regional Aime Assin. Similar sentiments were echoed by the Vice President. He said that as far as Youths are trying to inculcate peace, they will work with them.

In the declaration, the youths are convinced that African Heads of State and Governments can amicably resolve conflicts without recourse to war, and they can bring about total peace in Africa.

The declaration recognised that discrimination, tribalism, religious intolerance and bad governance are some of the key factors that fuel wars and conflicts in our continent. In this regard the youths want government to promote political stability and fight against corruption on the African continent through good governance, decentralization, democratisation and revolution.

The Youths plan to work in close collaboration with African governments and all other stakeholders.





HALIFA CAUTIONS CONSTITUENTS

 By Fatou Janneh

NADD supporters, sympathisers and constituents of Bundung, near ‘Aren Baboun Fatty’ invited Halifa Sallah, former parliamentarian for Serrekunda Central and

NADD’s prospective candidate in the forthcoming by-elections to a meeting around ‘Aren Baboun Fatty’ on Tuesday, the 6th of September 2005.

During his speech, Halifa told the people of Bun dung that animals do not build hospitals, schools, roads, etc; that it is human beings who can organise themselves, provide amenities and build infrastructure for themselves.

Sallah stressed that “suffering that breeds suffering” is animalistic and any human being who allows him / herself to live such a life should accept that he or she is subjecting him/ herself to the ways of a beast. He indicated that if one does not know who he or she is, he / she can easily be used by another person who would ride or his or her back, chase him/ her until he / she enters the grave.

Clarifying issues regarding the likelihood that the electorate could be lured by APRC stalwarts, he said the politics of deception should halt; that young people should be very conscious as far as voting is concerned because it determines the future.

On President Jammeh’s remark that he, Sallah makes a lot of noise in the National Assembly, he clearly stated that the president only wants to have speechless Assembly

Members and that is why his party representatives are being controlled by him. Halifa said that the establishment of one party state has no place in this era. He said that the APRC government is taking loans without investing in the productive base of the economy.       .

Throwing light on the standard of living of the population, he said that people cannot afford the three daily square meals. He added that unemployment is on the increase in the country because there are not enough jobs for the people; that this compelled some of the youths to indulge in undesirable situations. Sallah said that the president has used the numerical strength of the APRC in the National Assembly to amend constitutional provisions dealing with the election of Chiefs and Alkalolus. He said it is now frequent for the president to sack Chiefs and Alkalolus. He added that NADD is formed to promote and nurture democracy and good governance. He further stated that “kings or monarchs” should not lead this country any more if the people are ready for positive change; that NADD is prepared to rescue The Gambia from the corridors of anarchical rule or bad governance. Stressing the role of youths in the democratisation process, he said youths should say no to the politics of
 deception. He said that if one gives sweets to a child and he tries to exchange it with the child for D100, he or she will succeed because the child does not know the value of Dl00. “This is the backward politics you the youths should refrain from. Your votes should be valued well,” he emphasized.

A NADD supporter, Alhagie Banding Fatty, said that if one closely looks at the connotation of the phrase’ cacta fayoo’ in Mandinka, it means throwing casting of

Vote in direct translation but it entrusting someone with people’s votes. He buttressed

his point that this is why it is a necessity to make an informed choice.

Amie Sillah better known as Aunty Amie directed her speech at the female folk. She went on to say that the leadership of the APRC party has been pretending and still pretends to be interested in the development of The Gambia’s women folk.

She indicated that the APRC continue it sow the seeds of division between the women folk and their husbands by attributing their suffering to their husbands when they are the very cause of their suffering (women). Aunty Amie called on women to avoid being used as political tools or merchandise.

Master Danso, an elder educationist intimated that if one wants to know the situation of a country one should look at the condition of that country’s children. He said there are many young people who demand support from their parents rather than supporting them. “The essence of sending children to school is to help them hold constructive positions of responsibility in society but nowadays young people have problems getting jobs after completing their schools in spite of the fact that the number of schools and educational institutions built by the APRC has increased. Danso appealed to the youths to join hands with their elders to effect change for the betterment of The Gambia. He revealed that majority of Gambians are living in abject poverty. Quoting the adage “give the horse to the best rider, not your friend”, he pointed out that the election of representatives on the basis of relationship cannot solve the problems of this country.



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