Opinions are like belly buttons - everyone's got one and after reading
through Karamba's message below, I've concluded that it is, for the most
part, his opinion.  We all are entitled to ours.

I can understand your instinctual reaction to come to the defense of a man
you hold in very high esteem - many of us hold Mr. Darbo in very high
regard.  What I cannot understand, and this becomes extremely difficult
given that I've known and associated with you for some years now, is the
license you seem to have given yourself to insult Waa Juwara, calling him "a
congenital liar" and "a mad man" after only two meetings with him where
several other people were present!

I saw and talked with Mr. Juwara everyday for nearly six weeks.  Reports of
his controversial nature notwithstanding, I held conversations with and
asked questions of, a man of strong moral character, passionate about his
beliefs and quite forthright.  My impression of the man is that he has no
time for games especially when faced with the murderous, thuggish regime
that we have in the Gambia.

Instead of the character assassination by some UDP supporters, I would
encourage the leadership of the party to look into Mr. Juwara's allegations
and take appropriate action. To make allegations of so serious a nature
without prove is political suicide!  The test of the political maturity of
the party is in how this situation is handled, going forward.

You seem to think that Waa Juwara's challenge to the party for
accountability is akin to destroying the party - I dis-agree.  This is a
challenge that all progressive thinking peoples and organs of and by people
should encourage.  How can we keep harping on the lack of accountability of
the Aimless Farcical People Ruining our Country, then turn around to see
inconsistencies in our midst and stay moot about it?

It's been submitted that Mr. Juwara did the same when he was with the NCP -
so??  No one investigated, as far as is known, whether there was any merit
to his allegations.  Instead, he was castigated for having the gall to
question the goings-on in the party.  No one bothered to look to see if
there really was a wolf.  Are we to dismiss his pronouncements and sweep
them under the rug just because?  My impression is that he has been
consistent in his stand against corruption, his integrity un-shaken.

Much, also, has been made about how Mr. Juwara should have gone through the
"process" to have his concerns addressed - do we know that he hasn't?  Does
the fact that he might not have gone through the "process" take away from
the gravity of his allegations?

One last thing I want to point out is this - many donors to the party, who
have raised funds, on not one but several occasions, received neither
acknowledgement nor a break-down of fund expenditure from the UDP - these
are groups and individuals based in the US.  You seem to be the exception.

Ya Soffie

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