Peace Can Only Prevail If July 22nd Is Dead - Kemesseng Jammeh
Point News <mailto:[log in to unmask]> (Banjul)
July 19, 2000
Banjul - The minority leader at the National Assembly Kemesseng Jammeh in an
exclusive interview said that peace can only prevail in the country when the
July 22nd Movement is dead. Gambian politics can be peaceful, he said, but it is
only the APRC that wants to militarise it, he declared.
The Gambian people are characteristically a peaceful people. "Its only that we
are trying to bring about alien ideas, and terrorism, but when the Gambians get
rid of these, there will be peace."
"Every Gambian," he said, "is free to belong to whichever political party, but
what is real is that the APRC is losing support," he added.
The APRC is losing support all over the country because people are hearing of
dismissals, abductions of civilians in the early hours of the morning and so on.
Many people have heard their pronouncements, what they wanted to do. People were
moved by the developments that took place during the Transition. Most of the
projects were used for propaganda, so people thought that things will continue,
only to see things changing or going down, he said.
The government even found it difficult to facilitate the buying of farm produce.
This was the worst thing that could happen to farmers, Jammeh added.
These among others, are some of the reasons why people are losing faith and it
is why they (the APRC) are trying to create violence, he pointed out.
Mr. Jammeh further pointed out that the APRC cannot afford to maintain the
banning of the July 22nd movement.
"They said it, but they cannot dissolve the July 22nd movement. Since they have
no real structure on the ground, they have to go back again to the July 22nd
movement, trying to terrorise people." Declaring that "politicians are employed
and paid out of public coffers whilst doing political work," the MP denounced as
not correct, adding that nonentities and junior secondary school products are
being appointed as commissioners when they cannot even write correct letters. He
said these commissioners are members of the July 22nd movement.
He spoke of things being masterminded by July 22nd movement members, adding that
this shows that they (the APRC) have not been sincere to the people. "The
pressure was just too high, both national and international, that was why they
said by word of mouth that the July 22nd movement was dissolved, but it was not,
he further claimed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
