My Good Friend Hamjatta,
Feel free to address any burning issue. There is nothing that I appreciate
more than to be told that I am criticising the past, as well as the present.
This is precisely PDOIS' method. We are dealing with what has gone wrong,
and is still going wrong, with a country's economy, political system,
culture and general way of life, not just given personalities. You feel that
our criticism of the wrongs of the past is making us ineffective in dealing
with the wrongs of the
present. This is your opinion. I respect it.
Our experience, however, is different. We are earning more credibility in
The Gambia for taking precisely the posture you wish to discredit. One
factor you are not taking into consideration is that the objective of the
opposition is to win support from those who are supporters of the ruling
party. This cannot be done by simply engaging in tongue lashing. There are
times to explain, to reason, to denounce, to condemn and to combine to show
the authority of the people in combating things that go fundamentally
against their interest.
I wish you had greater trust and confidence in our determination to do what
times and circumstances demand. There is, however, nothing wrong in having
doubts and expressing caution about the strategies and tactics of political
power. Each of us has the duty to guide the process by expressing our
concerns.
The current alarm being generated that without opposition parties becoming
one at this very moment change will be illusive is something I find to be
working in the interest of the APRC. What you people are actually saying is
that the government is a popular one, and that no single opposition party
can challenge it.
The premise of every opposition is that the government has lost the
confidence of the people and that each of its opponents is earning the
confidence of the people. If that is true, then what each of you should do
is to give full support to the party of your choice so that they will win
more people. In
that respect, when presidential election comes, each party will draw large
support from the electorate and maybe the ruling party will not even
contest in the second round if its candidate fails to earn first or second
position.
What is already a principle of PDOIS is leaving seats in National Assembly
election to the stronger party so that there will be a strong National
Assembly.
In short, Hamjatta, each opposition party in The Gambia has advantages and
disadvantages. Some may support the UDP for one reason or another. PDOIS,
for example, is associated with the politics of criticising the past and the
present and putting programmes before the people. NRP has its own brand. I
believe UDP is confident that the type of politics it is conducting is
winning it the type of support that it desires. We are also confident that
we are winning quite a lot of attention for the brand of politics we are
engaged in. The NRP would say the same thing.
What the situation demands is for our supporters to give us greater strength
so that each party will test its strength in the first round, and in the
second round of voting, parties can form strategic alliances. What is so
unrealistic about this?
Secondly, all Gambians, irrespective of party affiliation, must be concerned
with the governance environment in the country. They must denounce and
challenge every action that undermines free and fair elections, or the
violate the fundamental rights of the people.
In short, there are human rights issues which require immediate and
concerted efforts and this requires the cooperation of all Gambians to deal
with. There are also elections issues which have to be handled by each party
in accordance with its principles. The Gambian people have to decide which
type of government can best serve their interest.
When it comes to election issues, how they are discussed depends on who is
listening to you. How you people communicate and how we communicate must be
different. It is also fair for those of you who used to follow PDOIS'
rallies to explain that our manner of speech has always been designed to win
the respect of not only the opponents of regimes, but also their supporters.
This is how PDOIS has earned respect. The image being conveyed of fires in
bellies, as if we only engage in tongue lashing, is misleading. I was in
Washington recently and I gave different types of speeches to address
different occasions. We can be firm when the situation demands, and we can
try to be inspiring when circumstances demand. So we cannot be branded one
way or the other.
I hope you will stop judging me on the basis of your own perception of the
realities in the country; but would go further to gather opinions not only
from Jammeh's critics but also from those who have to be won over from
Jammeh. Some political parties are finding it difficult to win those on the
other side because of their style of politics It is the people who bring
about change and it is the people who determine how we communicate to them
so that they can understand the message for change.
I still wish to appeal to you, as before, that rather than general comments,
you may pose specific questions regarding specific actions or pronouncement
for
explanation. I am always willing to explain. You are ever free to do a
critique of such an explanation and point a way forward.
Your point that other armed groups may by default carry out our
responsibilities is instructive. I do not consider this to be a prediction
of the outcome of the failure of having one presidential candidate in the
first round. This simply signifies that political parties do not have
monopoly of political power.
Power, of course, belongs to the people, that is, if they are conscious of
their power and fully organised to safeguard it. Where that is not the case,
others can usurp it. The only defence against this is to truly enlighten,
organise and empower the people. This is what we are engaged in. Those who
engage in other activities to usurp power from the people must be
accountable for their own actions. We should only be judged by our own
actions.
I hope we will be encouraged to allow the dictates of conscience and reason
to prevail as we try to deal with all the issues that now confront our
society. All of you are free to say what you want and handle the issues as
you wish. We will always respect your different positions. We also hope that
people will respect our position.
Greetings.
Halifa Sallah.
----- Original Message -----
From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2000 11:55 PM
Subject: Realpolitik: The Zeitgeist In These Harrowing Times
> My Good Friend Halifa,
> After promising myself not to bring it up again to you in public and
> against my will, I have to re-echo again an earlier clarion call I made to
> you and other political players in the Gambia soon after the student
massacre
> of April 10th. and 11th; that this is the period of unity of purpose in
> restoring decency and respect to our body polity. Well, it seems the
message
> is still stuck in the bottle and begs to be set free still.
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