OPPOSITION IS LEADING JAMMEH

 In Popular Vote in 6 By Elections



Says Halifa Sallah, Coordinator of NADD



APRC 9,852, OPPOSITION 11,582



FOROYAA: As coordinator how do you see the results of the Nianija/Njau

by elections?



Halifa: The tactics of President Jammeh is muzzling his National

Assembly Members has enabled the opposition to test it weight before the 2006

presidential elections.  The fact does not give President Jammeh any

basis for him to be confident that he will win the 2006 presidential

elections.



FOROYAA: What do you mean?



Halifa: Science calls for conclusions to be drawn from facts.  Since

the Alliance began to be shaped there has been 6 by elections.  The APRC

won three and the Opposition won three.  However, a presidential

election is based on the popular votes not on seats.  There is absolutely no

doubt that in all the by elections President Jammeh’s record serves as

the focal point for the APRC campaign. In this regard the popular vote

he receives reflects his political weight.



A review of the results of the results of the by election in Jarra West

Constituency, Cape Point Ward, Sare Ngai Ward, Old Jeshwang Ward,

Nianija Constituency and Njau Ward reveals the following popular votes for

APRC and the Opposition.  APRC obtained 9,852 votes and the Opposition

11,582.  Hence the Opposition leads by 1,630 votes.  This is why

President Jammeh cannot be said to be poised to win the 2006 presidential

elections.



FOROYAA: Well, your position is an interesting one.  We will contact

the APRC bureau to find out what they have to say.  Now can you elaborate

on the cause of NADD victory and defeat in Njau and Nianija

respectively?



Halifa: The first point to note is that NADD has made history.  I am

not sure whether anybody realises that the first person to win election

under a NADD ticket is a woman.  I am sure this is a unique development

in the whole world.  Channeh’s victory is unique by all standards.

First and foremost, the APRC did not rely on President Jammeh’s

popularity.  They mobilised a former MP of the area during Jawara’s era, Mr.

Amulai Janneh to lead the campaign team.  They also relied on the

Commissioner of CRD and the Chiefs.  These women/men stayed in the area to meet

every influential personality in the ward.  They even went as far as to

turn Channeh’s parents against her, just to make it difficult for her

to stand.  Her clothes were seized at one time, left under guard at

another time and subjected to threats of all sorts.  During the campaign

Amulai, the Secretaries of State, the Commissioner, using state vehicles,

went up and down to mobilize support.



Amulai did not stop there.  On Election Day he, the Commissioner and

some Members of Parliament were going round polling stations.  Channeh

had to get on their trail to chase them away.  In fact one of the Polling

Agents has a case against the Commissioner which I am ready to take up

with the authorities so that Commissioners will be fully stopped from

taking sides in electoral contests.  In my view Channeh’s victory is the

most humiliating defeat Jammeh has suffered since the birth of the

APRC.  The fact that he had to hide behind a past MP shows that his own

popularity had gone down to a very low level.



Needless to say since the MP could not save him the president should

gather the message that the end is drawing near, the way forward is for

him to begin to adhere fully to the principles of good governance.



FOROYAA: What do you mean?



Halifa:  Commissioners are public officers.  Section 222, Paragraph

(13) of the constitution states categorically that a person holding public

office should not “allow his or her political inclinations to interfere

with the discharge of his or her official duties.”  Should the

president leave the Commissioner to campaign for his party?  Should he allow

vehicles for technical assistance to join their campaign trail?  He needs

to address these anomalies voluntarily or we will wage a campaign

against him to address it.



FOROYAA: What about Nianija?



Halifa: We left the election campaign to be based on local issues.  The

result does not manifest increase in popularity of the APRC.  In fact

the vote has dropped compared to the 2002 elections.  In my view, the

result of the Nianija by-elections further confirms that President

Jammeh’s record is not the basis for victory.  The APRC had to engage in many

survival tactics to get 1,500 votes.  The first point to note is that

they tried to rely on the influence of the new Chief who was in the

Opposition to split the camp of the opposition.  Secondly, they selected

Dawda Bah’s first cousin to be a candidate.  In short Dawda Manneh’s

mother is a sister to Dawda Bah’s mother.  They are of the same mother and

father.



Despite all these efforts and the huge presence of the Commissioner,

Chiefs, Secretaries of State, National Assembly Members and resources

they could only win by a difference of 365 votes.  Clearly, if the

Alliance had rallies as we had in Buduk in all the main centres and combine

NADD’s campaign issue with the local issues the result would have been

different.  We took the local sentiments for granted.  This was the

mistake of the Alliance.  Notwithstanding the results favour the Alliance

more than APRC.



FOROYAA: How?



Halifa: The APRC had what it could have.  However, the Alliance has

grounds to grow.  Over 1,000 voters did not vote.  There are many people

who voted for the APRC because of inducement.  Hence with a more

organized campaign the Alliance should be able to put an end to voter apathy

and inspire voters to inducement.



FOROYAA: Any concluding remarks?



Halifa: The by-elections confirm that a strong and viable opposition is

emerging.  This is good for the country.  When a government has a weak

opposition its powers cannot be checked and restrained.  The efforts

made to scrutinize, criticize and restrain the authorities from wrong

doing during the six by-elections confirm that a democratic society can

only be sustained if you have powerful poles of authority that cannot

manipulate each other.



In my view, the Alliance out of 6 by-elections the Alliance is ahead in

popular vote.  We should build up the momentum.  We must not allow the

APRC to mystify itself and give the impression that it has the support

of the people.  We should stop misreading the facts and blame the

people.  In six by elections the people gave the Alliance 11,582 votes and gave the APRC 9,852 votes.  Everyone should know that the Alliance is

ahead.



The president is finding it difficult to maintain an electoral base.

That is why he is relying on culture, sports and any other means to draw

crowds on a non partisan basis just to enable his propagandists to

refer to the crowd as a sign of popular support.  Sympathisers of the

Alliance should tell the people that the results of the by-elections are the genuine indicators of the popular support of the Alliance and the APRC.







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