Mr. Sanyang,
I will first take this opportunity to thank you for your promptly,and
soberly response to my call for unity.
Party to unite with a party or individual does not mean cowardice or a you
will belittled,and unity is virtue seen only in gentle w/men of high
integrity,true,honest,patriotism and courage;to name few great leaders like
Nelson Mandela,Nkrumah and W.E.B.Du Bois.
I believed,unity is guided by the values of sacrifice.Unless we sacrifice
our grievances for national unity,there cannot be any meaningful political
progress in The Gambia.The best people,i believe who could foster national
unity are people like you and others.
All of us know that our country is small to fight ourselves or bring
divisions among ourselves.This is among the reasons,why many of us feel
Jammeh's despotic regime is unacceptable.Jammeh being a Jola do not make us
to challenge him but we are challenging him because of his bad
administrative policies and his dictatorial behavior towards the public.
you mentioned that "where were all the advocates of today unity call,when
new parties like NRP and UDP where established".Are you making this
statement just to provoke? because you might be fully aware that a small
country Guinea Bissau was able to have more than eight parties why not
Gambia.Democracy calls for an establishment of multiparties.After the
lifting of the ban on party politics in The Gambia in 1996,PDOIS continued
their own programmed and other new parties as you rightly mentioned NRP and
UDP were formed.Then why can you reexamine the reason why Gambians still
didn't support PDOIS but rather opted for the establishment of new parties.I
believed this is what you should be working on but not to question why New
parties came in to existence.No body owns the people therefore,they will
choose to do what ever they feel like is good for them.The electorates
choosed to form  NRP and UDP parties but not the officials because party
official alone cannot form a credible political party.these are are among
the reasons why within short period,they were able to get score what they
scored in the last elections.
Even you  and any body can establish a political party IF you have the
support of the electorates.What you need  to do is to send a written
application of your political party to the Independent Electoral commission
if the the commission is satisfied that:
[1] the purposes and actions of your political party do not contravene or
are not in consistent with the constitution.
[2]the application shall be accompanied by your political party's
constitutions;
[3] your political party;s name and fully address;
[4]the names and address of all the registered officers of the political
party whose names appear in the registration of voters to the effect that
such votes support the registration of the political party you seek to
register as a political party.The above mentioned is just a few samples i
named.
Mr.. Sanyang all we need today is political tolerant,political development
and peace.We should always bear one thing in our minds that this "Bantaba"
is not a political rally, but a forum of concerned citizens to discuss very
important national issues and how to bring about a democratic Gambia.I trust
you,with your maturity,sense of responsibility and patriotism,you will
continue to discuss with me this important issue genuinely and sincerely
outlining what your views are about unity and how to achieve it,but not to
allow anybody to make this issue a castigation exercise.
On the issue of comparative between Jawara's Government and any other
Government or party,i will reserve my opinion in my this call for unity.I
might come to that in an other issue but not in this particular issue.
For the UDP party to keep up the momentum of political education and
mobilization the party is under obligation to meet the people countrywide
and discuss with them their matters of concern.
As the name applies,United Democratic Party is a democratic party
therefore,we welcome any fruitful criticism and good advise.
Finally,UDP is committed to democracy.

May God,The Almighty,bless our nation.
Saihou


>From: landing sanyang <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: SV:      CALL FOR  UNITY
>Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 17:23:20 +0200
>
>Mr Mballow,
>
>I definately respect your call and concern over the Unity of our
>opposition in addressing our short term aim of removing President Jammeh
>from office,but at the same time am deeply worried about what the next
>phase is going to entail(the long term aim).LOOKING closing to the
>individuals behind the opposition parties,one could see a clear cut
>difference in personality and believes,which is reflected on their parties
>policy documents,from which strategies and tactics are developed.In other
>words,the call is calling for the abandoning of all what the different
>Parties believed in,just for a single objective of removing Jammeh from his
>entrusted seat.My first question to myself is:Is this a genuine call?Where
>were all the advocates of todays Unity call,when new parties like UDP and
>NRP were establish?Why didn't they raised their voices to say AH,AH,the
>Gambia does not need a new opposition,that would only make the work
>difficult and throw our people off the course,and make them ever more
>confused than they have ever been before.The opposition idea was welcomed
>by people who do not see PDOIS as a viable opposition they could rely on.
>
>Yes brother mballow,Unity to get rid of Jammeh is necessary,but at what
>cost?How is it going to be organised and who is to take the lead?How is
>Gambia going to be like after Jammeh?Are we going to bring Notorious Jawara
>back to accomplish his mission?Have we not learned all our lessens as
>yet?Is Jammeh not accomplishing Jawara's mission?Don't we see that there
>are more semilarities between Jammeh and Jawara than the differences.What
>about UDP?What difference do they make from Jammeh and Jawara.Educate me on
>that.
>
>By the way,why can't we call for the merger of APRC,UDP and NRP.Think about
>it .Just a reflection.
>As the discussion continues,i would surely have time to empty my thoughts
>on this useful discussion of National Importances.
>
>Greetings to everybody out there and never give up the fight.Stay on
>course.
>Praises are due to our ancestor!!
>Landing Alkalo Sanyang.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Saihou Mballow <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 12:05 PM
>Subject: CALL FOR UNITY
>
>
> > Members,
> > PLEASE,Let's demonstrate to the whole world that we are matured people
>and
> > are united in the sense that all of us here do not want the current
> > electrifying bully and violence in the country.
> > Many believed that through this G-L,Gambians especially abroad will be
> > united contribute fruitfully to the current political situation.
> > We have to bear one thing in our minds that who ever is a member of this
> > list can read and write therefore,can use any abusive language on any
>body
> > if s/he wishes but that is not the reason why we came together.
> > I am not saying this because i want every one to support UDP,No.No body
>can
> > force a person to support any party that s/he does not like.As the
>saying
> > goes, you can force a cow to go up to the river but you cannot force it
>to
> > drink.
> > If we want any body to respect our course,we have to respect the leaders
>of
> > these three opposition parties that is UDP,PDOIS and NRP.We have to call
>for
> > unity among these three parties.We can engage on a fruitful debate
>without
> > disrespecting each other.
> > In fact, all what politicians can do is to present their programmes to
>the
> > electorates and that's it then it is left to the people to accept them
>or
> > reject them.
> > Particularly the argument between Saul and Ebou,i appeal to both of you
>to
> > rest this case and maintain respect between the two of you.
> > If i hurt anybody,am sorry.
> > The struggle continues.
> > Saihou
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
> >
> >
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