Edi, I agree with your analysis up to a point, I concede that we should
divorce serving the national intrest as oppose to seeing every appointment
to state as pro-jammeh. I think to some extend that is simple way of seeing
it however, as pointed out by Saiks, it should be clear that anyone
appointed by Jammeh to be a SOS, must realise he or she is there to
implement a set of policies that is in line with Jammeh policy. Arguably  as
a technocrat can one  bring in  some expertise that will help and  assist in
the creation of a policy, but if this policy does not align with the overall
intrest of the Government, evidently then one would just become a lame duck
going round singing the praises of the almighty Jammeh, as have been the
case in many instances. We have seen a lot of good people with genuine
intrest to help move the country, but because of the autocratic nature of
the regime many have failed to fulfill their ambitions. Hence from the
evidence of the APRC regime the general consensus is that one does not own
ones mind, just like a remote control Jammeh tunes any channel you either
fall in line or get out. Obviously every ambitious Gambian wants to fulfill
the dream of being in the position to serve the country at the highest
level, but under the circumstances when politicians and technocrats are
indiceranble, it have made it extremely diffcult if not embarssing to take
up position under the APRC and pretend that you will not be openly partisan.
Come the elections and you will find all goodwilled people turn turned into
unbelievable charlatans, of no one avocates that these people, but the
pretence and the pretexts should should stop if one believes in Jammeh and
the APRC, like Fatou Jahumpa one should stand up and be counted, evenwheras
people disagree with you, you will still command the respect of your
opponents. But to constantly harp at Jammeh until people believe that your
position is derived from a position of principle and you turn round and
negate all those pronouncement not out of priciple but simply because you
have been given a political position, that is what is unacceptable. This is
not jealousy or spite it is just questioning the intergrity of such a
personality and I do not think there is anything wrong with that.

The main issue I beg to differ with you is your rhetoric that Jammeh have no
one to answer to about the death of the svchool children, I think that your
are either politically naive or been mislead, after all Jammeh according to
the constitution is the cammander in chief of the armed forces, hence any
incident as significant as that must have the prior  approval or blessing of
his command failure of which is a serious breach by those who embarked upon
openonig fire without any approval from him. So even before dealing with the
rights or wrong those that opened fire must be arraigned before a military
tribunal to ensure that they cannot flout the cahin of command. Such a
precedent if condoned may have serious ramifications not the least the
threat and danger it poses if not anyone else but Jammeh himself. Agroup of
soldiers could pretend to be quelling an uprising and turn their guns
against him, that would be catastrophic.

On the issue regarding his mansion or acquired assets, I for one think that
it is not just legall but moral as well for him to account to the people,
after all Jammeh took power to qstop and quell corruption and the best
indicator of corruption is the simple equation of ASSET-INCOME. If there is
a big parity between these two,  then explanation of acquisition is due.
After all Jammeh's  slogan or catch phrase was TRANSPARANCY, PROBITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY, don't you think people expect him to live by the standards
for which he judges others, I for one most certainly thinks so and am sure
so does many others.

I hope we do away with terminologies such as jealous and be more honest and
diurect to our convictions rather than hide our true intents behind words.


>From: Edie Sidibeh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Amadou Scattred Janneh - From An Expert On Jammeh To A
>      Sycophant of Jammeh
>Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 09:38:30 +0100
>
>To my surprise, in the recent weeks, people were acting like small children
>who are innocent of what there tomorrow will be or are not yet aware of
>themselves and there potentials in a society. I think people are just
>talking of democracy but do not realised what it takes to be democratic.
>Moreover, people love to criticize other but hate to be criticized or to be
>ruled against in an open discussion like Gambia l where everyone ought to
>have the right to disagree or agree without biasness. How can we give good
>advice in governance to others if we think we are perfect, then at the end
>of the day proving to the same people our imperfect attitudes. We should
>look in the mirror sometimes to rediscover ourselves and our motive toward
>achieving our goals.
>
>
>
>What exactly is democracy? We should not identify democracy with majority
>rule. Democracy has complex demands, which certainly  include voting and
>respect for election results, then again, it also requires the protection
>of liberties and freedoms, respect for legal entitlements, and the
>guaranteeing of free discussion and uncensored distribution of news and
>fair comment. Even elections can be deeply defective if they occur without
>the different sides getting an adequate opportunity to present their
>respective cases, or without the electorate enjoying the freedom to obtain
>news and to consider the views of the competing protagonists. Democracy is
>a demanding system, and not just a mechanical condition taken in isolation.
>
>Viewed in this light, the merits of democracy and its claim as a universal
>value can be related to certain distinct virtues that go with its practice.
>Indeed, we can distinguish three different ways in which democracy enriches
>the lives of the citizens. First, political freedom is a part of human
>freedom in general, and exercising civil and political rights is a crucial
>part of good lives of individuals as social beings. Political and social
>participation has high value for human life and well-being. To be prevented
>from participation in the political life of the community is a major
>deprivation like it is in this forum whereby people are always jumping into
>conclusion and accusing each other being an informer, insulting or arguing
>senselessly.
>
>
>
>Secondly, In disputing the claim that democracy is in tension with economic
>development, democracy has an important instrumental value in enhancing the
>hearing that people get in expressing and supporting their claims to
>political attention including claims of economic needs. The practice of
>democracy gives citizens or organisation an opportunity to learn from one
>another, and helps society to form its values and priorities. Even the idea
>of "needs," including the understanding of "economic needs," requires
>public discussion and exchange of information, views, and analyses. In this
>sense, democracy has constructive importance, in addition to its value for
>the lives of the citizens and its instrumental importance in political
>decisions. The claims of democracy as a universal value have to take note
>of this diversity of considerations.
>
>
>
>The concept and even understanding of what are to count as "needs,"
>including "economic needs," may itself require the exercise of political
>and civil rights correctly. A proper understanding of what economic needs
>are, their content, and their force may require discussion and exchange.
>Political and civil rights, especially those related to the guaranteeing of
>open discussion, debate, criticism, and etc, are central to the process of
>generating informed and considered choices.
>
>
>
>These processes are crucial to the formation of values and priorities, and
>we cannot, in general, take preferences as given independently of public
>discussion, that is, irrespective of whether open interchange and debate
>are permitted or not. In this context above, neither the government nor the
>people against them in this forum, are democratic  because the actions
>cannot be differentiated. Jammeh hate to be criticized, there are lot in
>this forum, who hate to be criticized, Jammeh is not diplomatic, there are
>many more in this forum in Jammeh’s shoe, Jammeh is talking about democracy
>but don’t act democratic, again you will see many outspoken individual like
>that here.
>
>
>
>What we need here is how and what do to achieve viable tool towards better
>Gambia for the future generation. I am saying or asking how to take Jammeh
>out of power because we cannot do that while sitting in the Diaspora, what
>I am saying or pointing out here is the fact that the betterment of
>tomorrow should be planned from today but instead, we are getting to the
>throat of each other and obsessing ourselves. Which government will take us
>seriously? If however, people only notice what they are doing to their
>struggling, you will seriously change your strategies. This is just a
>victory to Jammeh and the government seeing people who said they are
>informing the outside world on the bad governance, fighting each other day
>in day out. If you are talking about branding, you have to be branded first
>or be motivated in branding concepts .
>
>
>
>However, I respect anyone who will take the risk to help the government in
>the time of crises for the betterment of the nation such as Dr Janneh and
>Maffy  Jarju. I will never call them opportunist but true lover of their
>country and the people who are suffering as the result of mismanagement and
>corruption of the caretakers. Moreover Janneh do not owe anyone an
>explaining about Jammeh’s mansion or the death of the school children etc.
>I am sure, If Jammeh asked some of the speakers here to come home for an
>appointment, they will not hesitate because success is what everyone is
>aiming at, it is simply human nature,. then again, we hate to see the
>success of the other is also human nature.However, the people who were
>critical to the government should be put into a test as it is with Dr
>Janneh. Have a good day,
>
>Edi
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>   Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today!
>Download Messenger Now
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to:
>http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
>[log in to unmask]
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface
>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_________________________________________________________________
Find a cheaper internet access deal - choose one to suit you.
http://www.msn.co.uk/internetaccess

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~