Mr. Coly, I join Mr. Kujabi and KB in welcoming you back. It's about time you come pay us a visit. There's nothing like the type of first hand info that you supply. Your knowledge of the m.o. of the Jammeh inner sanctum is invaluable. Kujabi picked up on Yaya Jammeh’s refusal to pass on info regarding the Farrafenni attack by Kukoi and his boys. I don’t see any surprises there. Yaya simply doesn’t know how to handle that info. Beneath all this “Gambian Unity” crap that he (Yaya Jammeh) puts out, lies the biggest tribalist in Gambian public history. From his blatant nepotistic interference in appointments in our Civil, and Security services, to his equally audacious tribal gerrymandering a.k.a. (Constituency Demarcation exercise,) Yaya Jammeh is hell bent on super-imposing his ethnicity on our national consciousness. Period. So, when President Joof informed him that a fellow Jola like Kukoi is determined to kick him out, he simply couldn’t believe it. That news flew in the face of his subtle –many now say open- quest to unite ALL Jola people behind him. So, he didn’t tell the Army chiefs, not because he wasn’t concerned, but because he was simply stupefied! Make no mistake Sir, what we’re dealing with is a provincial-minded autocrat, with delusions about his own grandeur, and the aim of avenging all past slights –perceived or real- committed by the rest of that country against his native group. And tragically, MOST Jola people are buying into the BS. This is sure to send some people to the bathroom, but God knows that’s what we’re dealing with here. I wish there were another way of describing this man and his tactics. But Welcome back all the same! Mr. Kujabi: You're right about my take on our country folks. It simply hasn't been able to stand the test of time. Indeed, my faith in The Gambian species is at an all-time low. When one is in search of trendsetters in The Gambia, the last place one may look at is Kiang. That much, I knew. But, this whole “My Vote/Your Money” swap, is a new one for me. But generally speaking, I’ve realized that I need to follow my own advice to Tombong: Get out of the “election outcome” prediction business! (The only mitigating factor in my favor is that I made my prediction from afar. Tombong made his, after spending some time on the ground in Dakar.) Fact is, this isn’t The Gambia I grew up in. It simply isn’t. EVERYTHING that I had ever taken for granted, or as a given (Gambian to Gambian decency, basic integrity, a minimum fairness threshold, etc) just doesn’t seem to exist anymore down there. On the other hand, things I could never have imagined happening in The Gambia are happening. Examples: a character like Modou Pika is not only invited to State House, but from incontrovertible sources, the fellow literally has a standing “Walk In” right to demand an audience with the “prez” because of how important he is “to national security;” And there is the great Baba (need I even give you his last name?) To think that Baba is virtually the second most powerful man in our country is unfathomable to anyone who knows this guy’s background. But, that’s The Gambia of today. So, frankly, I didn’t know what the heck I was talking about. Don’t look for any more predictions from me. I just hope you didn’t rely too much on my prediction. But ironically, this defeat ('cause it IS a MAJOR defeat for the opposition,) may be a blessing in disguise. Very early this morning, I broke another personal vow to totally ignore old friends who eke out a living running after unscrupulous characters in this regime. I spoke to someone who was with an ecstatic Baba Jobe yesterday. This guy confided to me that FOR THE FIRST TIME since Baba appeared in our public life, he (Baba) believes that they don't need to use violence, or out-right vote-rigging to win elections. The guy told me that, vote buying wasn't just one of the APRC's strategy in the by-elections, it was the ONLY strategy! And it worked in Kiang. He quoted Baba as boasting that, "people trust our briefcases more than the promises of drunkards." So for now, Baba for one, has been lulled into a new sense of (false security?)or optimism that with the right size of a war chest, they can in fact BUY enough votes to win in October without killing their opponents. This guy, who was with Baba in both Kiang and Baddibu throughout this electioneering period, said there was nothing secret about their vote buying. He said, their position is that, they're not forcing anyone to sell them their votes. People have to feed their families: APRC has money in plain view, UDP has nothing but promises. The choice was clear for the simple-minded. After speaking to this fellow, I find some of KB's suggestions very pertinent. The position of the APRC basically is that people should be glad that they’re only buying votes. And there’s nothing any person, or oversight body –most definitely NOT Mr. Roberts of the “IEC”- will do about it. It’s simply inconceivable that “IEC” reps in Kiang and Baddibu didn’t see CONCRETE evidence of vote buyouts. According to this participant I spoke to, they simply couldn’t care less who was listening to, or watching them: people had merchandise (votes,) they had money. The most we’ll ever get from the “IEC” about this phenomenon (if they say anything at all,) will be some lame letter “admonishing” the APRC. If this body was truly independent, the open “voters card LUMO” that happened in both Kiang and Baddibu, would not only land many in jail, but would automatically require a re-run. We all know that isn’t gonna happen. So realistically, we have to evaluate our choices. We need to identify the things we can control, and the things the “IEC”, or we can’t control. The courage of the children last April has made it clear to the APRC that Gombians are not as afraid of death as they thought. So, this shameless and open vote buying is their NEWEST, and main strategy. Somehow, we have to counter that strategy. I’ll find time to expound on this theme, but KB’s suggestions are very good starting points. Otherwise, what the APRC did in ’96 through sheer ruthlessness, will be effected again this through Dalasi bursting briefcases. Good morning. Saul. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------