Comrades: I was moved when I read the Observer today. Gambians back home have expressed their feelings on the recent controversy. Many have pinpointed their distrusts of the PPP strategy in trying to deny three main opposition parties the right to political democracy. They have indicated their opposition on a strategy of payback on SM. It is interesting that we have forgotten 1981, when Sir Dawda falsely imprisoned SM. We have forgotten the 55 witnesses who lied under oath. We have forgotten Fa Hali Jammeh of Bakau, who at the insurrection of the PPP made Sir Dawda of what he was. Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, are we evoking inconsistency? Remember the late Fa Hali Jammeh died in prison. Shame on Sir Dawda. I say shame on you. The PPP cannot and should not divide us. Remember also that Gibou Jange is in Serre Kunda West and Halifa is in Serre Kunda East. What makes the selected few think that Halifa and elder Jange will not join hands in defeating OJ and his selected few? This is possible. NCP and PDOIS can intermarry. In fact it may be called NCPDOIS. This is a good combination. Do we want this? I hope not! But the selected few is forcing us to reconsider this strategy. We have forgotten the undemocratic means of the PPP government and the intimidation and imprisonment of members of NCP. We have forgotten the rampant arrests of anyone with a Sanyang name and many who claimed to be Jola. A personal friend was imprisoned for ten years. This dear friend is a Jola. Do we want to open old wounds? I hope not! I grew up with Jolas and I do understand why many are supporting yahya jammeh. In my native district of Kombo East, call it Kombo Narang if you want to, many Jolas that I grew up with, went to school with, worked on the farm with, swam together, ate together, gone fishing with, danced the jola music with, were intimidated, harassed and imprisoned by Sir Dawda. Do we want to open old wounds. I hope not! The Gambia is our country. Please remember that it was Kukoi Samba Sanyang who came up with the first coup. Kukoi to us in Kombo Santosou, call it Kombo Narang if you want, is neither a Jola, nor a Mandinka or any tribe. Kukoi to us is a Gambian. To yahya jammeh I attest, you cannot dance the Jola music more than I can. The Faraba Banta that I grew up in, is a village of no tribe. The Jola, Mandinka, Wollof, Serre, Fula and many tribes never discriminated on the basis of tribal affiliation. A Colley man arrested by the PPP police was intimidated and kicked at my village bantaba. That evening it was not only the Jola who was upset. It was the whole village. Do we want a payback? I hope not! Why then is the PPP embarking on a politics of division? The Gambia is our country and we are the ones who can salvage the rights of the silent majority. Should we entrust this obligation to a selected few? I hope not! Do we want inclusion? I hope! On my frequent journeys on Old Primet Street, I dared passed Nba Dibori Njie without greeting her? I dared not asked her whether she wanted some water. I dared go hungry in Banjul without stopping at Nba Dibori Njie's house. That was The Gambia I grew up in. That should be The Gambia we should not let a selected few take from us. We are one. We must remain one. Please don't let a selected few deny us the right to political sanity. We cannot be divided by party politics. We must, however, speak the truth. We must be our own person. We should not mortgage The Gambia for a selvish reason of wanting to be the president and promising another of the vice presidency slot. In my own Eastern Kombo before the coup, I was reported by the PPP supporters to Fa Sanjally Bojang. I was confronted by Momodou Manneh at the Commercial Bank, loudly saying to Yahya Ceesay that this is the Conteh boy I was telling you about. On one visit to Faraba Banta, I was assaulted by a PPP supporter and given a nasty blow on my face. I was harassed, intimidated and called all kinds of names because I was and still an NCP supporter. I was reported on numerous times to be dismissed from The Gambia Commercial and Development Bank. The two people who saved me from dismissal were the late Alhagie Momodou Musa N'jie, and his son, Mr. Ousainou N'jie. The OJ, who I commended for his stance against the APRC government was one of the people who called for my dismissal. Do I want a payback? I don't think so! Should OJ payback on SM? I don't think so! Most readers have either indicated their loyalty to SM or Yahya Jammeh. In fact some residents in Bakau are demanding that long distant relative, Hon. Dembo Bojang return to the National Convention Party. Hon. Bojang had indicated to them that he would meet with SM. One reader who is a Yahya supporter flatly said that SM is a good man and she hopes he would join his father, Yahya Jammeh. This is the domino effect I have been saying. If the selected few thinks that their payback strategy will work, they better think twice. This divisive politics should not be endorsed by any sincere Gambia. I hope a member of the selected few, who happens to be a former representative of my native constituency is listening. The Jabang Kunda, where my late great grandmother came from would never convene the Pirang people to engage in politics of division. Pa Pandia to me was a man of dignity. Pa Pandia to me was a man, who despite my threat of running against his son would always greet me with a smile. The Jabang klan I asked on my few campaigns in Pirang of whether they would vote for me. Many would say: Lang Conteh "ekujatabakay", meaning you are very stubborn. I was neither given a payback, nor a denial in my desire of wanting to run against a Jabang. In fact many, including Fadede Jabang were behind my candidacy. While I remain an NCP loyalist, I am afraid that those who wanted a payback on Dibba have actually resurrected SM in Gambian politics. Do we want SM's haters to succeed, or do we want a collaborative effort of the opposition to succeed? We must be careful in not creating a situation that will benefit yahya Jammeh. Some members of the opposition are flatly saying that SM was given millions to cause confusion. I can attest that SM cannot be bought. Dibba will not stoop that low to turn back on the very foundation that he believes in. PDOIS for some reason is a party with ideas. Halifa's recent message is very revealing. His call for nominating a woman to lead a transition team is endorsed by me. I think Halifa and PDOIS are so vital to our struggle that their initial political interpretation should be endorsed by Gambias who believe in fair dealing, equity and trust. Their civic political education of the Gambian people is case study that should be activated. It was undemocratic for a selected few to nominate a candidate. It was premature and uncompromising for the UDP to send colanuts to our elders that Ousainou would be the nominee before the commencement of an Alliance meeting. It was undemocratic in not inviting PDOIS and also holding a meeting in the absence of NRP. I spent almost four hours in Maryland engaging Ousainou with Brother Sambou and other Gambians. Ousainou failed on his promise in engaging PDOIS and NRP. Do I want a leader who would say anthing to please me? I hope not! I remember telling Ousainou on one occasion that I am a student of SM. Oh how time flies, especially when you are in dare need of truth. We have accussed Yahya and his people of undemocratic tactics. Why then are some of us keeping low a profile at this critical moment of our struggle? We cannot afford to speak with our mouths full. We must speak the truth. Naphiyo, Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh,MBA Greensboro, NC/Kombo East Constituency 336-854-3019 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail2Web - Check your email from the web at http://www.mail2web.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------