"Jobe": << This committee, under the chairmanship of Mr.
Gabriel Roberts, now the chairman of the IEC, also did their job as mandated
and handed their to the AFPRC. Even though the report was not made public,
it is alleged that it was seriously doctored to suit the AFPRC. Many alleged
that they omitted from the final report, the recommendation for a 2 term
limit for the presidency, reduced the age limit for the presidency from 45
years to 30 years and inserted an indemnity clause to indemnify the AFPRC or
anyone acting on its orders for whatever they may have done or failed to do. >
>

Hamjatta: Here you are not only lying but have garbled certain historical
facts.First, Gabriel Roberts wasn't the chairman of the Consitutional Review
Commission [CRC]. Instead, it was headed by a Ghanaian judge by the name of
Justice Quaye. Sencondly, it was not an allegation that the draft consitution
was doctored: it was based on the testimony of Gabrial Roberts, [in an
interview with the Daily Observer], a key member of the CRC, in an interview
with the Daily Observer shortly after he was named the chairman of the
Provisional Independent Electoral Commission [PIEC]. Roberts DID say that the
draft they handed to the AFPRC recommended a two term presidency of 5 yeears
each and the age of the president should be at least 40 years of age. Since
this was counter to their aspirations and or agenda, it was expunged from the
midst of the draft that was later thrown at the unsuspecting Gambian public.
So it is NOT an allegation to say that the 1997 constitution was
doctored/tailored to suit the AFPRC's ambitions and or agenda. You might want
to have a quiet word with Roberts on this. After all, he is on your payroll.

"Jobe": << The effectiveness of parliament, as an **independent arm of
government**, was thus effectively compromised. >>

Hamjatta: Where did you get the absurd notion that parliament is "an
independent arm of government"? From Jammeh himself, no doubt! Or might that
just be a Freudian Slip on your part, since this is precisely what currently
prevails in the Gambia? For an apparently intelligent man, you are capable of
uttering garbage and silly stuff. For your information, parliament is the
legislative arm of the State and in a clearly demarcated democratic polity
which has strong checks and balances, is independent of the gov't of the day
- well, at least in theory. There is an enormous difference between the
notions or phenomena of the State and the gov't. The State is the body
politic of a collectivity or society in practical continuity whilst
government refers to those mandated to govern the State of affairs of a
polity whose legitimacy is assured through periodic consultation of the
consent of those governed and living in the said polity. You might want to go
back being a sophomore and study some basic gov't texts. Or you will continue
to make a fumbling ass of yourself.

"Jobe": << The build-up to the ushering in of the second republic also saw the
formation of the UDP and NRP parties and resumption of party politics by the
PDOIS. The former having been banned earlier was not allowed to contest. The
political campaign was nasty, to say the least. There were frequent clashes
between the APRC and UDP supporters and their militants. The APRC campaigned
openly with the security forces and a massive following of civil servants.
The UDP was prevented from using the public media, allegedly for their
insults and incitement of people. The security forces severely harassed the
UDP supporters, arresting their key members, often for weeks contrary to the
constitution. Journalists, considered to be sympathetic to the UDP, were
constantly picked up, detained or deported if they were foreigners. The UDP
militants also retaliated with more insults and inter-party fights became
common. Some international observers withdrew from the country saying that
the elections cannot be regarded as free and fair considering the virtual
monopoly of the public media, which incidentally had nationwide coverage, by
the APRC. When Yahya coughed, it made the headlines. This nasty situation
continued throughout the campaign period and beyond. >>

Hamjatta: In light of that heavy indictment of the AFPRC and its mutation
APRC, are you still willing to wager your integrity any further by calling
the freakish presidential elections of 1996, free and fair? If not, why do
you still think that the APRC is a legitimate gov't? Having said all that you
said above and in lieu of the procedural discrepancies that dogged the
electoral process throughout the so-called "transition period", do you still
believe that Jammeh had really "won" that freakish presidential elections of
1996?

Hamjatta - Kanteh
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URL: http://hometown.aol.co.uk/hamzakanteh/myhomepage/newsletter.html

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