"Haruna:" JDAM.
 
Hi Lamin. Its so very good and refreshing to hear your voice.
 
  "The context of your above deals with the issue of who among the  so-called 
opposition presidential aspirants should be entrusted with the mantle  of 
flag bearer for the original five-party NADD." JDAM.
 
Lamin, I'm afraid you have condensed a comprehensive discussion too much to  
afford it justice. In the last of the 3 paragraphs, and where I thanked you 
for  the forward, my context was exactly as you share. That is the extent of it. 
And  in there, I am not extending the conversation to who should be 
presidential  candidate of any NADD for I took that to have been your personal opinion 
as you  have cautioned at the end of your notes here. I have moved beyond NADD 
or its  intricacies. What I address is the difference between acumen and 
perception in  determining which fellow citizen is more committed to the rule of 
LAW. Further,  if that fellow citizen is a politician vying for a leadership 
position, how do I  discern superlative commitment to the rule of LAW in 
comparison with other  citizen politicians who also vye for the same office. I shared 
that in a country  such as Gambia where you do not currently have the rule of 
constitutional law,  how do you determine that the person who is most 
committed to the rule of LAW is  trained on Constitutional LAW as opposed to another 
type of law when  they declaratively disavow any one or more of the 
constitutive cultures  that is the harbinger of such constitution?
 
Your preference for NADD flagbearer my friend is simply that. Your  
preference. Another citizen could argue equally licidly that The Hon. Ousainou,  or the 
Hon. Hamat, or the Hon. Hassan Musa, or the Hon. OJ, or the  erstwhile Hon. 
Waa or the Hon. Sidia is the most committed to the rule of  constitutional LAW 
in Gambia. The reasons you gave for your choice of Hon  Halifa are as 
subjective as another of your fellow citizen's reasons would  have been. I will get an 
opportunity to share some ideas on this with you later.  I must warn you 
though that if you yearn for the return of the NADD that  fizzled, you may miss a 
good part of this conversation. I have to watch  yew!!!
 
"Based on my understanding of the objective evidence as then available in  
the public domain, and in consideration of the Gambia I would like to live in  
post-Jammeh, I was in no doubt that of the potential aspirants, Halifa was far  
and away the most credible candidate for NADD flag bearer if only for his  
constant willingness to share his vision with fellow  nationals." JDAM.
 
Indeed Lamin and I do not deny you the privilege of personal opinion.  Should 
you desire to review your opinion with me, I wish to ask you then in  the 
realm of contemporaneous intent (potential aspirants), are the other  aspirants 
incredulous candidates and have they been unwilling to share their  vision with 
their fellow nationals? And how did you determine that? Remember, I  am in no 
way saying that these two qualities are the only components of your  calculus 
for you have inserted (if only for) in your analysis. We will get an  
opportunity I trust to discuss the other components of your calculus.
 
"As a convinced and confirmed institutionalist, he is essentially a devotee  
of the rule of law." JDAM.
 
Lamin, I am sure you are still sharing subjective conclusions  here. Well, I 
like you a lot but you mentioned:
 
1. Convinced. This indicates to me you are sharing that Hon. Halifa has  
convinced you from a set of qualifiers you assessed him by. If you do not share  
how he convinced you as an ardent institutionalist we do not have the liberty 
of  benefitting from similar convincing. This therefore contends for an 
indefensible  proposition as you are wont to quip.
 
2. Confirmed. This shares that you have confirmed Hon. Halifa to be an  
institutionalist. What institution you do not share.
 
3. Essential Devotee. Here you share that the Hon. Halifa, having  convinced 
you, and you having affirmed his institutionalism, you are now ready  to, 
de-minimis, confer on him "Devotee to the rule of LAW". You did not share  that 
the Hon. Halifa is the most devoted to the rule of LAW in Gambia neither  have 
you shared comparative analysis on the convincing that the other aspirants  had 
accomplished or are capable of accomplishing. You did not share which of  
your fellow citizens had confirmed any of the other aspirants to be  
institutionalist. Nor did you share whether any of them is considered devotees  to the 
rule of LAW. This is the danger of forming personal opinion of qualified  
leadership on such intractable and subjective phenomena. Have you therefore  
dispensed with superlative citizen votes or appreciation of the other aspirants?  I 
understand you to believe that those expressions of appreciation (by votes)  are 
a product of cluelessness on the part of your fellow citizen voters, but I  
submit, that they may still be entitled to those expressions of cluelessness.  
Welcome to Gambia and Democracy. Unless of course you desire another form of  
governance or LAW. I prevail on you not to pin yourself to a non-progressive  
corner. I have higher regard for you as a student of constitutional law and a  
fellow citizen. And a former Magistrate. If these aspirants were to present  
themselves before your court for wisdom in determining the most devoted to the 
 rule of constitutional LAW among them, will you rely on these subjective  
barometers or would you rely more on the weighted desire of your fellow  
citizens? There is value in the actuarial sciences. And I don't mean Leadership  of 
NADD for whatever period.
 
"Having arrived at Halifa as most suitable presidential candidate for a  
coalition against the APRC, I simply played the role of advocate in  communicating 
my considered choice with opposition Gambia and the wider national  
electorate. Even when NADD was collapsing before our collective eyes, Halifa  
demonstrated his mastery of the political process by spinning those catastrophic  
developments in his favour." JDAM.
 
I understood as much Lamin. Therefore, I am hopeful that you may be able to  
engage in further requiem for Gambia because you express personal opinion on 
an  elapsed event, yet Gambia still needs bereavement. I think I can work with 
you  Lamin and I want to meet with you again if that is possible.
 
For mine own part, 
 
A. The Hon. Halifa has indicated that he would be devoted to the rule of  
constitutional LAW.
B. Hon. Ousinou, by record of his chosen profession and prior deliberations  
on the behalf of his fellow citizens dating back to the PPP era, has ably  
demonstrated that he is immensely devoted to the rule of constitutional law and  
the defense of his fellow citizen against the enormous state machineries. He  
also belongs to one or two of the constitutive tribes of  Gambia.  
C. Hon. Hamat Bah's relatively brief sojourn in the  National assembly has 
demonstrated amply that he is equally devoted to the  rule of constitutional LAW 
in Gambia. He also belongs to one or two of the  constitutive tribes of 
Gambia.
D. Hon. Hassan Musa, during the PPP regime, immediately after, and up  to the 
present, amply demonstrates he is devoted to the rule of constitutional  LAW 
for Gambia. Likewise, he belongs to one or two of the constitutive  tribes of 
Gambia.  
E. Hon Sidia, prior to his membership in  PDOIS, and during his tenure with 
PDOIS, has demonstrated his devotion to  the rule of constitutional LAW for 
Gambia. He has been returned to the national  assembly many times over by his 
proud constituents of Wulli. He also  belongs to one or two of the constitutive 
tribes of Gambia.
F. The Hon. OJ, during his time with PPP and by the fact that the  people of 
his constituency of Serrekunda have desired him to represent  them on numerous 
occasions then, has demonstrated that he is devoted to the  rule of 
constitutional LAW for Gambia. He also belongs to one or more of  the constitutive 
tribes of Gambia.
 
And I am still not able to assert that any one of these Honourable  gentlemen 
is superlatively committed to the rule of LAW in Gambia than the  others.
 
"To state, as you did, that "all citizens are equally  committed" to  the 
"pursuit of the rule of law" is to contend for an indefensible proposition  in 
that not everyone understands, much less accept the fundamental prerequisites  
of that doctrine of governance." JDAM.
 
The only understanding any citizen needs to appreciate the foregoing "All  
citizens of Gambia are equally committed to the pursuit of the rule of  
constitutional LAW in Gambia" unless otherwise proven, is the extent of their  
dispensation and agreement to belong to the constitutive assembly that is  Gambia. 
Yahya and Edward have proven their devotion to power and wealth  overwhelms 
their devotion to the rule of constitutional law for Gambia. They are  making 
ammends though, if ever so slightly. I still do not know  whether the 
aforementioned honourable gentlemen will be more devoted to the  rule of constitutional 
LAW than Yahya and Edward so I will not make that the  basis of my personal 
calculus in leadership and  circumstance..

"Unlike you, I think we should  develop the ability of unambiguous 
communication with those who aspire to lead  us." JDAM.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with you Lamin. You did say COMMUNICATION and  not 
speech, lectures, and propaganda. 
 
"You appear not to have done that with the camp you supported in the  
disastrous events leading to the catastrophe of September 2006." JDAM.
 
Lamin, Ikebaayaata nyinyele. FYI, I did not support any camp in September  
2006 or September 2005. I did not view them as camps even as they convened on  
the NADD negotiations. It will be helpful to understand how you concluded the  
demarcations of camps and how I came to support one camp or the other. My  
pursuit is democracy and the rule of constitutional LAW in Gambia. I am at a  
loss therefore as to what gave away my belonging to camps and circumstance.  
Please share that with us here. Beware the ire of subjective reasoning Lamin. I  
would like to maintain pride for you if possible.
 
Your friend, Haroun Masoud. MQDT Darbo.

I  reemphasise that when I communicated my views with fellow Gambians in  
"Honourable Halifa Sallah for NADD Flag Bearer" - the "notes" you alluded to - I  
was simply acting as an advocate for that proposition. I was not acting in 
the  role of a teacher dilating on the niceties of constitutionalism, and, or, 
the  rule of law. 




LJDarbo







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