Musa Jeng
My good brother kindly read Ebrima Sillah's posting on
what happened at YMCA HALL.
I am gobsmacked about the whole situation. These
unbanned politicians with the exception of OJ Jallow
kept quiet for 7 years. Rather than learning from that
period of silence, they have decided to create
confusion within the opposition camp. If there is a
split within the opposition beacuse of personal
reasons then surely we have handed over the Presidency
to Yahya Jammeh, for another 5 miserable years.
Comrade Jassey-Conteh
We need to hear from you about Dibba's decision not to
join forces with the other opposition parties. I am
finding it difficult to believe, but having said
Ebrima Sillah's report seems to be accurate. I only
hope Dibba and others could be convinced about the
dangers of splitting the opposition vote.
Have a wonderful day
Sanusi
--- Musa Jeng <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
Sanusi,
>
> My good friend, registering a political party is not
> mutually exclusive with forming a political
> alliance.
> Infact, it only make sense to register, and then by
> virtue of that existence, form an alliance with the
> other
> parties.
>
> Thanks
> Musa Jeng
>
> Sanusi Owens wrote:
>
> > Mariama
> >
> > Thanks for your wishful thinking. Unfortunately,
> the
> > news we are receiving from home does n't look for
> a
> > United Opposition. It has been reported in the
> press
> > that PPP and NCP have began submitting their
> papers
> > for registration.(SEE www; ffdig.org.)One would
> have
> > expected these unbanned politicians to emulate
> Assan
> > Musa Camara's decision not to register until after
> the
> > Presidential Elections but to my disappointment, I
> am
> > smelling a dead rat here.
> >
> > It is on those grounds that I shall not criticise
> > Foroyaa for issuing such publication. The truth of
> the
> > matter is that some of our politicians are
> > underestimating the struggle to unseat Jammeh.
> > Believe me, it is not going to be an easy one to
> start
> > with. The unbanned political parties should take
> note
> > that they can't solely rely on past support
> acquired
> > during the first republic to unseat Jammeh.
> Instead,
> > they will have to convince the Gambian electorate,
> > that they have a better political agenda for the
> > Gambia. Since there are already 4 political
> parties
> > in the opposition, one would have expected these
> > politicians to join forces with them in
> coordinating a
> > programme for an alliance against APRC, but it
> seems
> > the politics of ego is certainly undermining our
> hopes
> > for a united opposition, I hope not.
> >
> > The challenge lies on us now to start making
> petitions
> > to the unbanned political parties about the need
> for a
> > united opposition or else chaos for The Gambia as
> > Jammeh would win, hands down.
> >
> > UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL
> >
> > Have a wonderful day
> >
> > Sanusi.
> >
> > --- Mariama Diop <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Hamjatta,
> > > Thanks for your constructive analysis. Your
> > > suggestions could definitely
> > > help reinforce efforts geared towards forging a
> > > stronger Opposition alliance
> > > and defeating Yaya.
> > >
> > > warmly,
> > > mariama
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing
> > > list
> > > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > > >Subject: Re: BURNING ISSUES FOROYAA Publication
> > > >Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 20:49:52 EDT
> > > >
> > > >For a paper that has more than a decade's
> > > experience in reporting and
> > > >commenting on topical issues, Foroyaa seriously
> > > goofed here by allowing its
> > > >columns to be reduced to being a mere recycling
> > > factory of APRC rumours and
> > > >conspiratorial innuendoes. Instead of Foroyaa
> > > getting first hand
> > > >information
> > > >from the individual parties and personalities
> it
> > > reported about, it relied
> > > >primarily on second hand accounts of events and
> > > inferring from them grossly
> > > >erroneous stuff on the intent, manouevres and
> > > actions of some Opposition
> > > >heavy weights. Foroyaa certainly doesn't help
> the
> > > collective spirit when it
> > > >tendentiously make conspiratorial what is at
> best a
> > > genuine effort in the
> > > >preliminary engagements of ironing out wrinkles
> > > that have the potential of
> > > >hindering coalition progress. That is to say
> that
> > > it is perfectly normal
> > > >that
> > > >before formal negotiations take public form,
> > > backroom horse tradings - that
> > > >are invariably raucous and having the negative
> > > impact of throwing poor
> > > >light
> > > >on the collective spirit if conducted in the
> public
> > > eye - have to run their
> > > >course before the shape and form that the
> > > collective spirit will take is
> > > >announced to the public. Foroyaa's whining or
> > > lamenting at this backroom
> > > >horsetrading denotes and betrays its innocence
> in
> > > political negotiations.
> > > >
> > > >Insidiously, and with great literary
> adroitness,
> > > Foroyaa tried to paint a
> > > >patrimonial picture of Hassan Musa Camara's
> > > informal appointment as the
> > > >'political fixer' to work on narrowing down the
> > > differences between the
> > > >different Opposition parties. Camara's
> appointment
> > > as a political go
> > > >between
> > > >to finesse a common platform of action for the
> > > Opposition signally
> > > >represents
> > > >the recognition that such a role invariably
> > > involves negotiation skills and
> > > >a
> > > >lack of direct interest in who heads the
> Opposition
> > > Alliance. Camara, by
> > > >virtue of decades experience as a public figure
> who
> > > had served all areas of
> > > >gov't and led a mainstream political party and
> the
> > > fact that he is
> > > >ineligible
> > > >to contest the current presidential elections,
> was
> > > better predisposed than
> > > >anyone else to play this role without any
> ill-will
> > > towards and or fearing
> > > >or
> > > >favouring any political grouping. This is the
> > > context of Camara's current
> > > >role. It is not so much the 'patrimonial
> kingmaker'
> > > Foroyaa subtly and
> > > >deceptively tried to implant in its
> readerships'
> > > minds.
> > > >
> > > >Moreso, if Foroyaa was irresponsible and lazy
> in
> > > its reportage and
> > > >commentary
> > > >of the Opposition Alliance issue, it was
> > > surprisingly sulking and hubristic
> > > >in the way it expects cooperation to eventually
> > > take form and work. For
> > > >instance, Foroyaa commented that:
> > > >
> > > >"UDP has held rallies and invited opposition
> > > parties to join them but this
> > > >had not materialised. Analysts observe that
> unless
> > > the opposition reaches
> > > >an agreement on a presidential candidate it is
> not
> > > likely to have a joint
> > > >rally which gives the impression that a
> particular
>
=== message truncated ===
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