I think it was Peter Enahoro of New African magazine who,refering to the late Samuel Doe of Liberia said that, once you are in power you learn quickly, as Doe had learnt quickly.Jammeh too has indeed learnt quickly. He has bought enough time to put in place an elitist middle class machinery he needs rely on and stay as president of The Gambia for quite a time. In enriching himself he has also enriched quite a number of Gambians, made them powerful and prestigious. Some of these were, as Jammeh himself, nothing and had nothing before he (Jammeh) came came to power. They are the neuveux riches created by Jammeh.They have settled down comfortably. It is through this logic that we can see the rationale for the repeal of decree 89. Over the years I have learnt that politics is about power and nothing else. And he who says power also says wealth. This was true yesterday and it was true today. It is true with the capitalists, it is also true with the socialists. For those of us who have now experienced both the West and our so-called third world nations' political realities (not systems) we should know better. Just think of campaign finance in the US; without the backing of the corporate dollars you cannot be president in the United States,period!When the realities of the defunct Soviet Union were exposed the same constante was revealed. In my student days I naively thought that politics and power was about helping to better the fate of the downtrodden. I listened to people who I thought were genuine about this but today they rub shoulders with Jammeh and really not much has changed since Jawara. I was listening to one of Boris Yeltsin's cronies in an interview on the CBS program 60 Minutes, he was asked about some corrupt deals he had helped carry out with Yelstin.In response he said he was going to be honnest,that every body in power is there for himself first before anyone else and this includes the president and those who help him rule. Jammeh has learnt this quickly, very quickly. Being at the helm is not about being a Ph.D. or bagging the best academic credentials of the world, it is about power. about wealth, about prestige and most people look for these every day. This is what the PPP had for 30 years. Some of us in our delusions of intellectual delinquency were very bitter as we watched the squander. Many factions emerged to take their part of the national cake whiles the naive and uninitiated shouted foul in the midst misery. I remember the group refereed to then as the Mafia who were virtual king makers! Those in the PPP who are about to reenter the political scene know about this. In those the days peasants were threatened in political rallies not to 'throw away a parliamentary seat in the bush.'The bush meaning the opposition. The Jammeh regime is using the same tactics but they are using it better. Jammeh has indeed learnt how to be in power in this short time. He came to power almost classless but today he has carved out an enriched and powerful elite that has settled down comfortably and to unseat them through the ballot box is dinner party.... Gibril Gelajo Bah. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------