Mr. Small, I entirely agree with atleast 99% of what you've writen about the need for a term limit for the presidency. I don't however subscribe to the absolute 2 term limit as many people would like to have. My personal opinion about term limitation for the presidency is for NO ONE TO SERVE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE terms of 5 years. I strongly beleive that people should have the choice of re-electing any leader, who after 2 consecutive terms leaves office for atleast 5 years. 2 reasons for holding this view are Zambia and Benin where, in the case of Benin, a former president was re-elected without the advantage of incumbency. To strenghten this, I advocate a system that would make it manditory for any person wishing to stand for president after having served 2 terms earlier, does so ONLY AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE AND NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY PARTY. Bye 4Now, KB Jobe. > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: Edward Small <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list > ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez >Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 13:44:17 -0000 > >Mr Jobe > >With all due respect, I would not want to be a judge of what language > >people >use here - that is the work of the List Managers. I would however >agree >that >once in a while we all - including you and me - are prone to emotional >outbursts. That however is not the issue here. > >The issue here is that we urgently need a mechanism for a peaceful >change >of >leadership in our country. You and other supporters of the president > >should >not advocate this because you love Jammeh less, but because you love >The >Gambia more, to borrow a Shakespearean dictum. > >Certainly, one of the principle causes of crisis in Africa is the > >propensity >by leaders to overstay in power; the propensity by leaders not to >create >an >enabling environment for an orderly change of leadership, which leads >to a >post-Mobutu Congo situation; the propensity by leaders to create a >personality cult around themselves such as happened in the dying days >of >the >Jawara era and is fast happening with Jammeh. We all know that Jammeh >promised to limit the terms of presidency. Why is he not doing it? Why >is >he >holding all of us hostage to satisfy his own whims? > >Certainly, the APRC is made up of people who are no less intelligent >than >Jammeh; people who are no less capable of running the country than >Jammeh. >Why should these people not be given a chance to lead the country too? >Certainly Edward Singhatey is no less intelligent than Jammeh? There >are >others like Sarjo Jallow, Sedat Jobe, even Yankuba Touray. These >people >and >others among the ranks of the APRC should have a chance to present >themselves to the Gambian people. I wonder what the deal was with the >July >22 revolution back in 1994. Was it that there would be one party >leader >and >only one leader forever? If not, why is Jammeh being allowed to >monopolise >the leadership of the party, like Jawara before him did with the PPP? >Why >should he be allowed to repeat the very crime for which he booted >Jawara >out >of power? I bet if today such a clause were inserted into the Gambian >constitution, much of the tension and acrimony we see on the Gambia-L > >would >dissipate into thin air. And with it would disappear a great portion >of >the >mammoth security threat facing our country. > >So folks like you in the Jammeh camp should exert pressure from within >to >bring about this all-important development not because you love Jammeh > >less, >but because you love The Gambia more. After all, APRC stands for >Alliance >For Patriotic Reorientation and Construction...of what: A Faulty >Political >System, one of whose greatest faults is the lack of term limit for the >president. Whither patriotic, then? > >Pa Small > > > >From: Kebba Jobe <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez >Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 09:43:38 -0000 > >Mr. Small, > >I have no doubt, personally, that there is a lot that should be expected >from this government. Inclusive, is the 2-term limit for the presidency. >Other issues include human rights, development and peaceful co-existence. >However, what I personally abhor is some of the very extremist views and >vulgar language that some seem to think is the only way to communicate. How >can any reasonable person expect all of us to hold the same views on all >issues that affect us? Since joining the list I have admitted all >reasonable >possitions held by all and sundry and defended those that I think is >possitive about the regime. Sometimes some concur with me other times some >disagree. This is to be expected. As you seem to be a very reasonable man, >tell me, is the language that the likes of Conteh, Hamjatta and Dampha use, >not a bit strong? > >Happy Easter, and bye 4Now. >> >> >>----Original Message Follows---- >>From: Edward Small <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >> ><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: Jobe, Jarju, Gomez >>Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 19:35:12 -0000 >> >>Really folks, I have no doubt that you guys are pretty intelligent. >For >>me, >>the issue is not whether Jammeh has done anything at all for The >Gambia. >>For >>me the issue is very political and revolves around one single qestion, >> >which >>I challenge you to answer: >> >>Why is Jammeh refusing to fulfil his promise in 1994 to limit the >number >>of >>times he can run for president? One of his excuses for seizing power >was >>to >>make sure that no future president overstays in power, a tendency >that, >>you >>guys would agree, could lead to political disaster in our country. Why >is >>he >>reneging on that promise? >> >>Please don't tell me that I should go ask Yaya Jammeh. If you are out >to >>defend him, you must be prepared to defend him on all counts. I look >> >forward >>to your answer. >>Pa Small >> >_________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------