Jabou
Well said! The opposition must put their differences aside and come
together, so that they can get full support of Gambians on the ground,
Gambians abroad and the international community. If they cannot come
together, then we will continue to be in the hands of our THREE LIEUTENANTS,
their Army and their NIA.
May Allah ( SWT ) save us from " shaytan " because our people are really
under frustration.

Elhadj.



----- Original Message -----
From: "Jabou Joh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: Why the silence/Sanusi/Omar


> Omar,
>
> Thanks for your response.
> It was evident from the last elections that the IEC is comprised of people
> who bend the rules in favour of the AFPRC regime, and that election
rigging is
> how the regime won the last elections and that, along with brutality and
> instilling fear in the hearts and minds of Gambians is  how they intend to
stay in
> power.
> There is no doubt that all of us agree that the IEC needs to be overhauled
> to ensure a free and fair election, but I think where we may differ is the
mode
> to be employed to accomplish this.
> The AFPRC regime is a rogue regime no doubt, and their record is the
evidence
> of this. They have failed miserably in their attempt to rule and infact,
they
> were never competent simply because it is evident they have no idea what
they
> are doing. They ensure their stay in power by bending and breaking the
rules.
>
> Imagine if you will, that Edward Singateh ( Minister of Trade is it? These
> positions change so often that one would think they are playing musical
chairs)
> demanding that Gambian small  business people reduce the prices they sell
> commodities and other goods as a strategy for reversing the economic
horror that
> these people's incompetence has caused. Another brilliant idea I believe
was to
> round up money changers and steal their money and such monies of course
were
> going to "charity". One need not ask which charity that was.
>
> The important point here is that this regime does not play by the rules
> because if they did, we would not have problems would we?
> The first time that people like Dr Abdoulaye Saine, Dr. Katim Touray  and
> others advocated that a council be set up to negotiate with this regime, I
stated
> that this regime would never negotiate with anyone simply because they
want
> to stay for as long as possible and that theirs was a mission to ensure
just
> that. I know that people got upset with  me then also because again,  they
took
> my remarks as an attempt to undermine them but the evidence has been
unfolding
> ever since.
>
> These people do not play by the rules, and thereore, the issue is not that
we
> need to reform the IEC, but how  we accomplish that under a regime that
will
> break all rules to ensure that nothing that will ensure free and fair
> elections takes place because they know that will surely lead to the end
of their
> rule.
>
> This is why in my post of yesterday, I asked the question as to whether
> appealing to the Commonwealth could be a way to accomplish this because as
far as
> being able to implement reform of the IEC, the cooperation of the Gambia
> government not to stand in the way must be part of it, and one cannot go
to the wolf
> to safeguard the sheep.
> Even as we talk of Gambians resisting this regime, and in the face of
their
> miserable failure to lead the country when any decent law abiding
government
> would have stepped down by now, this regime is hard at work devicing ways
to
> repress the people even more.
>
> The only viable way to force this regime to comply with the refom of the
IEC
> and other electoral related issues is to take this to the international
forum
> where international pressure can be brought to bear. The opposition
parties in
> the Gambia are the vehicle by which we can accomplish this, and their
> formation of a united coalition is the first move towards this end.
>
> As things are now in Gambia, with the AFPRC at the helm and very much
aware
> that with a coaliton in place and a reformed IEC that is composed of
people who
> will ensure that there is total transparency in the electoral process and
in
> any elections, it will be virtually impossible to bring about any reform
of
> the IEC because of inteference from the regime. The AFPRC regime rewrites
any
> clause in the constitution that puts any impediments to their sinister
goals or
> that will incriminate them in the lawlessness they have employed against
the
> people, so we are not talking about a group of people one can prevail upon
to
> do the right thing here. They shoot students who exercise their rights to
> express themselves as provided by the constitution, and incerate  and cook
up
> charges against politicians who ask the people to exercise their right to
protest.
>
> These are issues the violations of which can be taken to the international
> forum, and the modality of this is what needs to be looked into because i
am
> sure there must be a provision to accomplish such a thing. As part of the
> International commuinty who are expected to abide by the rules that ensure
our
> standing in that arena, we must be able to prevail upon the same forum to
ensure
> that the Gambian people are allowed to exercise the most basic of rights
under
> any government that is only recognized by the international community
because
> they represent themselves as our lawful representatives. If they are
breaking
> the law in that respect, that has to allow for consequences.
>
> The first time I suspected that Jammeh was poised to rig the last
elections
> was when the regime suddenly decided that all Gambians have to have an
identity
> card and the warped and devious proof of citizenship criteria adopted to
be
> able to get one was the final confirmation. In our country where births
had not
> always been officially documented on paper, we are a people who have lived
> with each other for centuries so that it si easy to determine who is
Gambian and
> who is not even though this may not seem very scientific to outsiders.
> However,the regime gave people a hard time with the proof of Gambian birth
issue to
> frustrate people and deter them from registering, and thereby making them
> inelligible to vote in the elections.
>
> In my view,  that was the first sinister purpose of this national ID card
> requirement, the second being that it also opened up the possibility of
providing
> cards to foreigners from across the border so they can vote for the AFPRC.
> Then Jammeh's agents at the IEC stepped in at the last minute to change
the
> rules in his favour by yet another eligibility requirement change.
>
> In addition, there was the usual intimidation of opposition leaders, the
> attempt to charge Ousainou Darboe with murder after the AFPRC thugs
waylaid his
> campaign party and tried to kill them on their way to a rally upriver. The
> attempt to charge Waa Juwara with sedition or whatever they have concocted
because
> he called for Gambians to protest the diplorable conditions that this
regime
> has brought to bear on them is an initial step in the AFPRC's
determination to
> embark upon another round of setting the stage to steal another election
by
> intimidation and brute force.
>
> As word spread that there is an advocation for a coalition of opposition
> parties, Jammeh is preparing to wage war both on the oppositions parties
and the
> Gambian public, as well as the Gambians in the diaspora and the sign of
that is
> the allegation that Gambians from abroad are being detained and questioned
> when try to enter the country, and the rumour that Jammeh was securing
crowd
> control equipment on his last visit to Taiwan is another indication. If
this
> allegation is indeed true, Taiwan as a responsible member of the
International
> community has the responsibility to study the political situation of any
country
> that they supply with such equipment before they do so, and therefore, if
such
> equipment is supplied and used to illegally harm the people during the
course
> of their lawful exercise of their constitutional rights, then the
> responsibility for that lies squarely in the hands of the Taiwanese
government and the
> case can be made to the international community.
>
> There was also the accusation that some people in the Gambian embassy in
> Washington D.C were reporting Gambians to INS in hopes of getting them
deported.
> These are all intimidation tactics, and all of them were triggered by this
talk
> of an opposition coalition and the July 4th summit in Atlanta.
>
> Yes, Waa Juwara is right that reforming the electoral process and the IEC
is
> the first order of business, but if one does not utilize the proper
avenues
> for doing that, and instead assume that the AFPRC regime will cooperate in
such
> a reform, they are gravely mistaken. It is time for the  opposition
parties to
> explore what options and entitlements international law accords them as
> legally recognized political organization in a country that is part of
regulatory
> bodies such as the Commonwealth of Nations, The United Nations, ECOWAS,
and any
> other international organization to which Gambia is a registered member
and
> therefore subject to it's rules and regulations, and to embark on an
organized
> approach to appeal to these bodies to bring pressure to bear on the regime
in
> Gambia to play by the rules or risk being subject to sanctions or being
forced
> to resign.
>
> I think all of this must begin with the opposition sitting down to iron
out
> any differences and form a united body the ultimate purpose of which is to
> remove the AFPRC regime without which these political parties and the
Gambian
> people will remain in the same cycle of efforts going to waste simply
because of
> lack of cooperation and organization. If the opposition parties and
Gambians in
> general do not see this as imperative, then one has to begin to question
> their motives, and to wonder why their vision is so narrow that they think
that
> personal and faction group agendas and interest will ever result in the
> achievement of any goals they may have if things continue along the same
vane.
>
> Without the will to cooperate at this critical juncture, the atmosphere
that
> will ensure a future where political parties are able to compete fairly
for
> votes will never be realized, and we are left to wonder if our politicians
have
> bought into the notion that political office is only to be gained by
cunning
> manipulation perhaps, as opposed to a level playing field and so they are
not
> willing to do what it takes to invest in the creation of a level playing
field
> where a politcal party has to stand on their own merits alone to be
elected by
> the people.
>
> I believe that this lack of a common vision where and when it is needed is
> the reason that our societies are the perfect venue for dictatorships to
not
> only sprout but to survive. People are simply too busy focussing on
factional and
> self interest until someone with a dictatorial personality recognizes
this,
> siezes the opportunity and springs up amongst us because they know that
they
> can always depend on the people being too pre-occupied with factionalism
and
> self interest to ever come to a concensus to take the necessary steps to
organize
> ourselves for the common good of all.
> Jabou Joh
>
> In a message dated 10/18/03 1:14:57 AM Central Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > Folks,
> > I apologise for coming back to the debate so late, and I hope you will
> > appreciate my position when I say that I was simply held up by school
work.
> > All the same , both sister Jabou and Sanusi have raised  points which I
> > intend to address here. But before coming onto that, I wish to say
something
> > in connection with another angle to the debate going on, in which Musa
Jeng
> > (mose) insist he has(or would have) questions about Waa's politics.
> > Musa, like anyone of us has every right to raise questions pertaining to
any
> > politician's politics. Suffice it to say that on this occasion he has
not
> > raised any specific questions about Mr Juwara's politics. If he means to
say
> > that he will continue to distrust Waa's politics, and he has the decency
to
> > say so in public, then one would expect him to have a good enough reason
for
> > such a position. A reason that he can publicly discuss without losing
face.
> > However, Musa has written of Mr Juwara forming NDAM as if it is his
personal
> > property. This is very wrong. NDAM infact was formed by a collection of
> > individuals in the Gambia and the diaspora. Thus it is again wrong to
say
> > that it was formed by any one individual.
> > With regard sister Jabou's question pertaining to what to do in view of
the
> > Jammeh regime's flagrant violations of the constitution and other laws
of
> > the Gambia, the answer is as simple as this: let the masses defend the
law.
> > For example, in the run up to 2006, through the coalition, the
individual
> > political organisations and all civil society organisations, let us all
> > advocate for free and fair democratic elections. Then all of us should
adopt
> > zero tolerance for electoral fraud, and be prepared to defend the will
of
> > the people at all costs. I am convinced that the top brass of the APRC
of
> > the AFPRC, does not believe in democracy. They would do anything that
would
> > perpetuate their stay in power. They believe in terror and aggression,
and
> > they would brutalize and murder us if that is what would brake our
> > resilience so that they can walk over us. Softly-softly politics will
never
> > bring this regime down, it simply gives them the opportunity to spread
their
> > nefarious tentacles in our society and strenthen their stranglehold on
the
> > Gambia.
> > As for the reconstitution of the IEC which mr Juwara advocated for, it
> > envisages the inclusion of representatives of political organisations to
the
> > membership of the IEC. The reality at the moment is that the IEC has a
> > chairperson who is known to be a defactor member of the APRC/AFPRC. His
> > neutrality in the execution of his duties has never been trusted,
therefore
> > it would only be fair if the other political organisations in the
country
> > are represented  in the IEC. This could also represent opening up the
IEC
> > thereby effecting transparency.
> > It should be noted, in conclusion, that the urgency of the need for the
> > coalition to set up a machinery on the ground now cannot be exaggerated.
I
> > agree with sister Jabou that we need an organisation like a coalition to
> > coordinate our struggle against injustice in the Gambia. This would
improve
> > our chances for success in our drive for free and fair democratic
elections.
> > The task at hand is a very difficult one. After having so many skeletons
in
> > its  cupboard, it should be expected that the APRC of AFPRC  will make
> > dogged efforts to clink onto power even if faced with an overwhelming
> > challenge. But we should all take heart because this is a struggle
between
> > right and wrong; the good and evil; a struggle to supplant a barbarous,
> > brutal, criminal and incompetent political leadership with a just and
> > efficient one.But the bottomline is, we must back our words with action.
We
> > must not only make it obvious to the Jammeh regime that we are fed up
with
> > its acts of injustice, but we should make it cristal clear to them that
a
> > subversion of the will of the people will not be tolerated again.
> > Omar Joof.
> >
>
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