Mr Mballow,
I thank you for your response on my reflection on your UNITY CALL,and being distracted by your response i would still refer you to my previous writting for a fair treatment of my questions,doubts,observations and proposals.Nevertheless,i would respond to your recent posting, which to my opinion is diffuse and distracts us from the nucleous of the subject matter : CALL FOR UNITY.
To be candid with you,your first paragraph up to the naming of Mandela,N'krumah and W.E.B Dubois is not comprehended and i defer from commenting on it.
You wrote:"I believed unity is guided by the values/degree of sacrifice.Unless we sacrifice our grievances for national unity,there cannot be any meningful political progress in the Gambia".
The question now arises-what is meant by national unity in the contest of our discussion, does National unity mean uniting U.D.P,N.R.P and P.D.O.I.S,only to exclude A.P.R.C?Are members of the A.P.R.C not citizens?How can we forge a national unity only to exclude a cross section of Gambian citizens?What type of national unity is that and in whose interest?You see my brother,every situation and circumstance demands it's own way of dealing with it,and so are the words and rethorics we use to bring forward our calls.National unity is not what is in focus in our discussion,but a coalition of opposition parties for a specific objective.Refering you to my previous posting,the question of what comes next immidiately comes in focus and needs to be answered by you,before we can move forward.Are we going to move two steps forward only to move one step backward?Is this a positive developmental pattern or receipt for any nation?You can please expand on this idea and line of thought.Unity at what cost?Are we to unite only to later disintegrate?What is going to be the bases of the unity and prerequisite for patnership?what are the conditionalities that would ensure a trustworthy and strong coalition?All these are points you need to expand on.I don't think this call is what is urgent in the Gambia today.It can end up doing more harm than good.
Mr Mballow,you began your forth paragraph with these words."All of us know that our country is small to fight ourselves".That's right my brother and i am begging you to educate the A.P.R.C and U.D.P on that.They are the parties that are bent on dividing the people in persuit of their political ego,stagnating the progressive attempt of nation builing.After thirty years or so of the Gambia's independence,we are still unable to build a nation free from tribal or ethnic group inclanation.The P.P.P did it to fool the Mandingo speaking people and established herself and the U.D.P,N.R.Pand the A,P,R.C are indulging into the same dirty card game.This is one of the problems of our nation state and how to reverse it is everybodies duty.Our Political parties should lead with exemplary character,to free the minds of the people from such social odds and take up issues of national relevances with them.If you deny opposing Jammeh because he is a Jola ,educate Lamin Waa Juwara and the like to withdraw their publicly known statements and desist from the politics of national disintegration.My point on the formation of new parties is totally misconcieved by you and i wish to refer you to my previous posting.
Mr Mballow wrote in connection to my point concerning the formation of new parties as thus:"No body owns the people therefore,they will choose to do what ever they feel like is good for them".Well Mr Mballow,this is what democracy is all about.It is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy,which all those who see themselves as genuine democrats must cherish.We must live to respect the will of the people.I would like to in conjunction to this piecemeal,leave a message to fellow citizens on the NET.Under whatever circumstances,we must cherish democratic principles as a guide to our National goal.We must respect the will of the majority of the Gambian people and try to enlighten them on their choice to effect a better change.We cannot go to teach our people hatred and violence just to get to the political office.As Mr Mballow rightly mentioned himself,all we need today is political tolerant,political development and peace,and i would add that everything else will follow suit.
Mr Mballow,your reservation on some of my points raised concerning Notorious Jawara and the PPP,Notorious Jammeh and the APRC,UDP and NRP could be fatal to the subject under discussion.It is important to treat it well,as it could be a bases for a meaningful unity.
You mentioned in your reply:"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".This statement of yours in my humble opinion should have been written as thus:For the U.D.P party to keep the momentum of political distabilisation,disorientation and to induce violence in the people,the party is under obligation to meet the people countrywide and discuss tribalism and hatred for the Jola speaking people.
Mr Mballow,for a party to bear the name democratic does not necessarily make it democratic,and as such to my believe the name of the U.D.P does not correspond to her actions and that makes her even more unreliable.This is my humble opinion on U.D.P .
I am stopping here until i hear from you and i am sorry if i sound provocative at any stage of my response.
Greetings to everybody out there and don't give up the fight.
Praises are due to our ancestors!!
Landing Alkalo Sanyang.
Original Message ---
From: Saihou Mballow <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 2:05 AM
Subject: Re: SV: CALL FOR UNITY
> 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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