Mr. Small, I entirely agree with atleast 99% of what you've writen about the
need for a term limit for the presidency. I don't however subscribe to the
absolute 2 term limit as many people would like to have. My personal opinion
about term limitation for the presidency is for NO ONE TO SERVE MORE THAN
TWO CONSECUTIVE terms of 5 years. I strongly beleive that people should have
the choice of re-electing any leader, who after 2 consecutive terms leaves
office for atleast 5 years. 2 reasons for holding this view are Zambia and
Benin where, in the case of Benin, a former president was re-elected without
the advantage of incumbency.

To strenghten this, I advocate a system that would make it manditory for any
person wishing to stand for president after having served 2 terms earlier,
does so ONLY AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE AND NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY
PARTY.

Bye 4Now, KB Jobe.
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Edward Small <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez
>Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 13:44:17 -0000
>
>Mr Jobe
>
>With all due respect, I would not want to be a judge of what language
> >people
>use here - that is the work of the List Managers. I would however >agree
>that
>once in a while we all - including you and me - are prone to emotional
>outbursts. That however is not the issue here.
>
>The issue here is that we urgently need a mechanism for a peaceful >change
>of
>leadership in our country. You and other supporters of the president
> >should
>not advocate this because you love Jammeh less, but because you love >The
>Gambia more, to borrow a Shakespearean dictum.
>
>Certainly, one of the principle causes of crisis in Africa is the
> >propensity
>by leaders to overstay in power; the propensity by leaders not to >create
>an
>enabling environment for an orderly change of leadership, which leads >to a
>post-Mobutu Congo situation; the propensity by leaders to create a
>personality cult around themselves such as happened in the dying days >of
>the
>Jawara era and is fast happening with Jammeh. We all know that Jammeh
>promised to limit the terms of presidency. Why is he not doing it? Why >is
>he
>holding all of us hostage to satisfy his own whims?
>
>Certainly, the APRC is made up of people who are no less intelligent >than
>Jammeh; people who are no less capable of running the country than >Jammeh.
>Why should these people not be given a chance to lead the country too?
>Certainly Edward Singhatey is no less intelligent than Jammeh? There >are
>others like Sarjo Jallow, Sedat Jobe, even Yankuba Touray. These >people
>and
>others among the ranks of the APRC should have a chance to present
>themselves to the Gambian people. I wonder what the deal was with the >July
>22 revolution back in 1994. Was it that there would be one party >leader
>and
>only one leader forever? If not, why is Jammeh being allowed to >monopolise
>the leadership of the party, like Jawara before him did with the PPP? >Why
>should he be allowed to repeat the very crime for which he booted >Jawara
>out
>of power? I bet if today such a clause were inserted into the Gambian
>constitution, much of the tension and acrimony we see on the Gambia-L
> >would
>dissipate into thin air. And with it would disappear a great portion >of
>the
>mammoth security threat facing our country.
>
>So folks like you in the Jammeh camp should exert pressure from within >to
>bring about this all-important development not because you love Jammeh
> >less,
>but because you love The Gambia more. After all, APRC stands for >Alliance
>For Patriotic Reorientation and Construction...of what: A Faulty >Political
>System, one of whose greatest faults is the lack of term limit for the
>president. Whither patriotic, then?
>
>Pa Small
>
>
>
>From: Kebba Jobe <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez
>Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 09:43:38 -0000
>
>Mr. Small,
>
>I have no doubt, personally, that there is a lot that should be expected
>from this government. Inclusive, is the 2-term limit for the presidency.
>Other issues include human rights, development and peaceful co-existence.
>However, what I personally abhor is some of the very extremist views and
>vulgar language that some seem to think is the only way to communicate. How
>can any reasonable person expect all of us to hold the same views on all
>issues that affect us? Since joining the list I have admitted all
>reasonable
>possitions held by all and sundry and defended those that I think is
>possitive about the regime. Sometimes some concur with me other times some
>disagree. This is to be expected. As you seem to be a very reasonable man,
>tell me, is the language that the likes of Conteh, Hamjatta and Dampha use,
>not a bit strong?
>
>Happy Easter, and bye 4Now.
>>
>>
>>----Original Message Follows----
>>From: Edward Small <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>> ><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez
>>Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 19:35:12 -0000
>>
>>Really folks, I have no doubt that you guys are pretty intelligent. >For
>>me,
>>the issue is not whether Jammeh has done anything at all for The >Gambia.
>>For
>>me the issue is very political and revolves around one single qestion,
>> >which
>>I challenge you to answer:
>>
>>Why is Jammeh refusing to fulfil his promise in 1994 to limit the >number
>>of
>>times he can run for president?  One of his excuses for seizing power >was
>>to
>>make sure that no future president overstays in power, a tendency >that,
>>you
>>guys would agree, could lead to political disaster in our country. Why >is
>>he
>>reneging on that promise?
>>
>>Please don't tell me that I should go ask Yaya Jammeh. If you are out >to
>>defend him, you must be prepared to defend him on all counts. I look
>> >forward
>>to your answer.
>>Pa Small
>>
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