All of us agitating for change are clearly disappointed that potential allies
could not successfully negotiate a total alliance. What has unfolded on
Gambia-L since Tuesday has essentially been a spirited reaction of frustrated
and somewhat impatient collection of fine citizens. This is natural for
patriots of a country as put upon as Gambia is today. The overall sentiment
as far as I can garner from the postings I have read is one of utter anger.
Folks simply wanted and sincerely expected that all of the politicians to
come together and cut a deal. With this frame of mind, these idealists
adamantly refuse to settle for any explanation of why seemingly well
intentioned people could not rise above personal inhibitions and political
intrigue to make the coalition total. They are angry and they have lost
faith. No amount of explanation of the integrity of the meeting process would
persuade them. I am not a happy man either. For one we are now going to have
to contend with all the complications that the added fissures within the
opposition would bring to a beleaguered and highly polarized electorate. I
hope it can be avoided. My own view is we must adopt the old adage that when
live serves you lemons, you try to make lemonade. We have a less than total
coalition whose composition is unlikely to change even if another is
reconvened. The differences between the parties are not bridgeable even in
the long term. We can take the rest of September to argue in an academic
sense on ways all of these players can be brought under one tent. It simply
will not happen because these politicians are reflection of our larger
Gambian Society. We are not known pragmatists. Disappointed and short of
time, let us lick our collective wounds and forge ahead with our politics as
it has crystallized. We can continue to argue and bicker and complain because
it is our country and solutions we and the majority of our people have fought
for are in some jeopardy.  We list members too have our own preferences
within the pool of parties and politicians and it is now our challenge to
rise above ascribing motivations or being consumed by emotions. Let us
resolve to work with the politicians on the ground we have access to in a
sincere bid to ameliorate the problems brought upon by the fissure. It is in
our collective interest that our respective parties emerge strong and vibrant
after the Presidential elections. The oppsition in it's entirety have much
more in common that divides them. While I support one from amongst them all,
I would consider our democracy functionally inadequate without the full
compliments of all it's constituent parties participating. Gambia would be
simply better of with a parliament composed of competent people from all the
parties in near equal numbers. Lets move forward and work doubly hard to
remove this tyrant and murderer masquerading as a leader. He ought to be the
focus of our ire.
Karamba

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