Ebrima, thanks for switching the discussion to our most vital issue - Presidential and National Assembly elections. We do not have time to conduct a shouting fest. Gambia is at a crossroads, we either focus on changing the path that leads us to inevitable doom, or we keep on messing with issues that leads us nowhere. Keep up the fight.
Chi Jaama
Joe Sambou
>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: My 23rd Message To All Gambians! >Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 21:59:49 -0000 > >My Fellow Gambians ! > > >The Presidential and National Assembly elections are fast >approaching us >(God willing !) and we definitely have to prepare ourselves >adequately if we >want to succeed in our aim to unseat Jammeh from the presidency and >the APRC >from its majority in the National Assembly. > >We have seen what happened in Kiang and Central Baddibou during the >recent >by-elections and the outcomes of these give us pointers as to how >desperate >Jammeh and his party stalwarts are to retain/maintain their hold on >power in >The Gambia. > >They have proved themselves ready to spend money (interestingly, >this money >is YOURS AND MINE – it is public money that belongs to all >Gambians), they >are ready to cheat, they are ready to lie, they are ready to harass >and >intimidate people, they are ready to bribe, and if the truth be >known, they >are probably also even ready to kill, just to maintain their power >base. Be >in no doubt, they will go all out to "win" the elections, and we >have to be >ready for them. > >Jammeh and his colleagues are aware that their fate and their future >are >tied inextricably to their holding on to power: without their >current >political status, they are nothings and nobodies. > >They know that once they lose the presidency and their APRC >majority, then >The Gambian people will hold them totally and fully accountable for >the past >seven years of misrule, mismanagement, corruption, and murder. > >They will be subject to eternal pillory and condemnation from all >four >corners of the world. There will be no hiding place for any of >them. Each >and every single one of these miscreants will be answerable for >their awful >deeds. > >With this in mind, Jammeh and the APRC will do anything in their >power, no >matter how illegal or corrupt, to steal the elections, to rig the >electoral >process and to ensure their success. Their willingness to expend >so much >public money on buying votes in the by-elections, even when they >knew that >they would be very much in the public eye, is a measure of their >discomfort >and fear of the future. > >What they should also now know, is that we THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE, know >them for >what they are. We know their desperation. We know their fears. We >shall >and do hold each and every one of them accountable for every >dreadful thing >that has befallen our country since 1994. > >We Gambians hold the power to change the fate and future of our >country in >the forthcoming elections, and we can show Jammeh and his criminal >band >exactly what we think of them all, by voting them fairly and >squarely out of >office. > >We have seen; we have heard; we have complained time after time, >about the >wrongs in our country. Now we have to ACT, and do something >practical to >uproot Jammeh and his gang. > >The catchword is, "ACT NOW OR REGRET IT FOREVER". > >Most of the talking and the analyses have been done and all of those >who >mean well for our country, are now in agreement that Jammeh and his >regime >have failed totally. It is now time for us to teach them a lesson – >that >power belongs to the mass of ordinary Gambians, and not to any >individual or >power clique. > >When the people are determined, and have the will to change the fate >of >their country, nothing can stop them. Change is inevitable. > >It is time for us to coordinate and organise ourselves as one people >in >opposition, as one unit, against our common enemy Yahya Jammeh, and >to >remove him from office. > > >HOW ???? you will ask. > > >Well, as I said in my 22nd Message to All Gambians, I shall look at >five >areas which are intertwined with our success in the forthcoming >elections: > >A. A fair and level playing field > >B. Resistance of financial inducements in the elections > >C. Proper and effective monitoring of the electoral process and >elections > >D. Tactical alliance of the opposition parties > >E. Political education of the people, especially in the provinces > > > > >A. Ensuring a fair and level playing field for the forthcoming >elections. > >It is important that we do all in our power to ensure that any >individual or >political party contesting the elections, do so with equal status >and equal >opportunity. > >Yes, in Africa it is difficult to contest against an incumbent >regime >because the latter usually exploit the whole machinery of state on >their own >behalf. However, as we have seen in Ghana and in Senegal, there are >some >checks that we can put in place in order to minimise these >advantages of >incumbents. > >It is important to take part in elections, but it is more important >to take >part in elections which are transparent and above board. There is >no point >in participating in elections which will be conspicuously rigged and >tilted >towards the favour of the incumbents. > >As a people, we have to demand fairness and equal opportunity. For >example, >we should insist that all individuals and groups contesting the >elections >have appropriate exposure on the national media. > >In The Gambia, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is >mandated by law >to conduct and supervise the elections. We should make sure that >the IEC >does this without bias or favour. We should be vigilant and >interested in >the activities of the IEC. If there is any suspicion of foul play, >then the >IEC should be publicising this in the media and reporting to the >opposition >parties as well as to the international intermediaries on hand. > >We have to demand that the IEC conduct and supervise the elections >in such a >way that all may know that there has been fairness and transparency. > >All of us need to be ready to police the electoral process because >the truth >is that in Africa, the results of elections are often not determined >on >election day itself, but rather in the whole run up to election day. > >We should demand these from the IEC: that - > >1. It ensures that all parties have access to the national media on >a >pro-rata basis. > >2. All parties be allowed to campaign the length and breadth of the >country > >3. Reputable national and international observers be invited to >serve as >monitors of the whole electoral process > >4. All state organised harassment of political opponents is halted > >5. There is decorum amongst the parties, and an agreed code of good >conduct. > > >We should also demand from our opposition parties and the incumbent >party >that they provide an environment conducive to smooth and peaceful >elections. > The party platforms should be based on issues and not >personalities. > >The aim at the end of the electoral process is that we should ALL of >us be >able to say that fairness and decency had prevailed, and that there >had been >no undue skew one way or the other. We should know that the choices >made, >are indeed reflective of the independent will of the people. > > > >B. Resistance of financial inducements. > >We heard reports in the last Kiang by-election, of vote-buying by >the APRC >which led to a less than impartial electoral result. > >We have to do all in our power to prevent a reoccurrence of this. >Any hint >of financial inducement should be reported immediately to the IEC, >to the >opposition parties, to the international and national observers, and >to the >media. > >Unless we bring this underhand and illegal practice into the public >eye, we >shall not be able to prevent it. We have to stamp on this type of >corruption and make it very clear that we Gambians are not willing >and ready >to put up with it any longer. > >The people ought to know that their vote is as important as their >very >lives: they have to make sure that their votes are given to >presidential or >parliamentary candidates who are worthy, who will work steadfastly >for the >public good and not for private gain. > >The whole notion of elections is to ensure the freedom to vote for >the best >and most effective candidates. It is not about selling one’s vote >to the >highest bidder. > >For those who do sell their vote for a measly pittance, then be sure >that >you will get a small amount of money in the short term: this may >last you a >week at most, and then you will be left with the same underlying >hardship >and distress which caused you to sell your vote in the first place. >Your >problems may ease in the very short term, but THEY WILL NOT GO AWAY, >even if >you sell your vote for 250 Dalasis. > >The degree of poverty in The Gambia is such that the government has >now >admitted that it is actually unsustainable. We therefore have to >elect a >new president and National Assembly who can give us the leadership >we need >to take us forward into a brighter and more honest, corruption-free >future. > >The draconian and obnoxious Indemnity Bill being put before >parliament at >the moment, gives us an idea of the type of regime we are dealing >with, but >more importantly, proves the point that we have to select and elect >representatives who are worthy of us: who are sincere, honest, >dedicated, >and hardworking, and who are parliamentarians whose only aim is to >strive >for the country’s best interests. > > > > >C. Effective monitoring of the electoral process and the elections >themselves. > >Knowing the regime we are dealing with, we should not take any >chances and >allow ourselves to be caught unawares. Whilst it is the duty of the >IEC to >organise, supervise and conduct the elections, we also have a duty >to police >the whole process ourselves. Let us open our eyes and ears to any >hint of >foul play or suspected attempt to manipulate the elections unfairly. > >As well as calling for independent international monitors and >observers to >oversee the whole process, we should also be looking to ourselves >and the >media services to undertake a careful and impartial monitoring role. > >We should also be interested in the registration of voters at any >time we >hear this is taking place, in order that we can ensure that only >those who >are qualified to have a voters card, should get one. If we believe >that >anyone has been unfairly issued with a voters card, then we should >report it >to the Opposition parties, to the IEC and to the international >community. > > > > >D. Tactical alliance of the opposition parties. > >In order to see the back of Jammeh and the APRC, it is absolutely >VITAL that >we present a united oppositional force. In my view, we are facing >an uphill >battle: to defeat Jammeh in the ballot boxes is going to take all >our >concerted efforts, and let there be no mistake, it will be >difficult. > >There is an urgent need for a united opposition, engaged in a >coalition >–this has to be the best way forward in the short term to ensure >that we rid >ourselves of Jammeh and his regime. > >I have come to realise that this is the KEY issue in our struggle, >and it >will need a separate posting. My 24th Message to All Gambians, will >therefore focus on this issue, and on the ways in which we may best >work >together for a successful tactical alliance. > > > > >E. Political education of our Gambian people. > >If you talk to Gambians, be they at home or overseas, we all concur >that >Jammeh must go, and that the Gambia’s future would be bleak indeed >if we >allowed him to triumph at the next elections. People clearly want >change, >because they understand that it is only Jammeh and his cronies who >are >enjoying the fruits of their mismanagement. > >The people want change, but they need to be organised; they need to >be >enlightened; they need to be guided; they need to be politically >directed >and educated. But HOW may we do this ? > >Whoever is interested in change in The Gambia has also to be >interested in >the ways in which we may educate the ordinary person at home. > >Political issues are complex and rather incomprehensible, even to >enlightened citizens. They need to be dissected, clarified and >simplified >in order that ordinary people may access the thinking and the >arguments. > >We have to make it very clear and very plain that The Gambia’s >governance >problems and crises are not God-made: they are artificial, and they >result >from our having elected the wrong people to power. > >People have to be enlightened on what to expect from their >Representatives >and from their president. They elect their representatives to >manage their >resources honestly and efficiently, and so our parliamentarians have >a duty >to deliver the goods. If they cannot, then they should be voted out >of >office. > >Our representatives should be our servants and not our masters. We >should >understand that they are working with our money: with public funds >which >belong to us all. They have to be accountable to us. > >These amongst others, are the complex issues which need to be >clarified for >our people, and it is the duty of all of us to ensure that the >messages >reach the people. Each and every enlightened Gambian should in turn >endeavour to enlighten and educate others. > >All of us, politicians and non-politicians alike, should take part >in this >process. We should explain the vital and key issues to our parents, >to our >aunts and uncles, to our sisters and brothers and to our children. > >I challenge each and every enlightened Gambian to take or send these >messages home, and ensure that they are disseminated there at every >opportunity. Only by educating the people shall we ensure that they >are in >a position to understand fully their political power. > >We should make sure that each and every Gambian realises that >his/her vote >WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE to the results of the elections. > >THIS IS POLITICAL POWER - and it is in the hands of us all. > > > > >Ebrima Ceesay, >Birmingham, UK. > > >_________________________________________________________________________ >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------