>From: panderry mbai <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: GAMBIA'S FRAGILE DEMOCRACY YET UNDER TEST. THE BY ELECTION FEVER >HITS THE NATION!!!!! >Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 00:33:23 +0100 (BST) > >Gambia's fragile democracy is yet under test. Come next month Gambians >will determine who to entrust the affairs of their nation in the National >Assembly which had been reduced to dictator Yahya Jammeh's personal >property. > >JAMMEH AT A GUARD OF HONOUR >WE EXPECT YOUR SOLDIERS TO STAY >AWAY FROM ACTIVE POLITCS!!!!! >This coming by election means a lot for our impoverished nation, which had >lost its democratic values, since the advent of dictator Jammeh's rule. >The eleven year of the APRC misrule had been characterised by massive >electoral fraud, murder, abductions and arson attacks. This government had >succeeded in instilling fear into the minds of voters to an extent that >they can safely predict the outcome of future elections. > >It's on record that Jammeh had brags time and time that with or without >Gambian voters he will sweep any future polls. To quote him right he once >said"whether you voted for me or not, the devils will vote for me." This >statement of Jammeh is indeed very revealing. Is he is implying that he >got the means to rig elections, as he had always been doing.? > >The current political field is not the least level. Under the current >state of affairs, there cannot be free, fair and transparent elections. >The Independent Electoral Commission in short IEC, which should be seen to >be independent had been invaded by Ruling APRC supporters. These APRC >appointees believe that it's Yahya who is paying them and not Gambia's tax >payers. They compromise their work ethics just to satisfy the interest of >the incumbent Yahya Jammeh. > >The electoral crisis started with the registration of non Gambians, mainly >from the Southern Senegalese Provence of Casamance. The cross border >voting is still a problem in The Gambia. Persistent demands by the >opposition for the IEC to expunge the names of these foreign Nationals from >our electoral record book had fallen into deaf ears. This had confirmed >well founded claims that the IEC is not capable of conducting free and >fair elections. > >Second, the mere fact that the IEC is not willing to extend franchise to >Gambians living abroad goes to show that the Ruling Party is not keen in >playing by the democratic game. While civilise and democratic nations are >providing legislative bills to empower its nationals abroad to vote, The >Gambia government is still passing bills to further undermine democracy. A > classical example is the bill, which bared second round of voting. >Knowing that he had lost support countrywide, he decided to use his rubber >stamp National Assembly to ban second round voting. The passage of such a >bill is not only an assault to our constitution, but to The Gambian people >as well. Jammeh behave as if he owns the constitution. From 1994, to >date more than thirty constitutional amendments had been spare headed by >this desperate regime. > >With barely few weeks to the by elections, the APRC is embarking on an >unofficial political campaigns. The IEC is watching by idly without >cautioning the ruling party to go by the rules of the game. Access to >state media and other media outlets within the country will help candidates >to send their messages across. This is not the situation today in The >Gambia. The State media had been reduced to Jammeh's propaganda tool. >Reporters and editors working with such media institutions are exposed to >censorship and intimidation by the government. They are not given free >hands to report divergent views. Their editorial line is clearly spelt >out. That they are bound to dance to the dictates of the ruling government >or else they will be send packing. Sensational propaganda news to sell >the image of the ruling government is usually the order of the day. We >cannot blame such folks to some extent, because it's the system that >created the environment of censorship. While they have the > decision to work or cease to work under such a hostile media >environment, some of these folks are working tirelessly to defend the >ethics of the journalism profession. One such fellow is Peter Gomez, a >former broadcaster and news editor at the Radio Gambia. Gomez was fired >because of refusal to distort political news. He rightly quoted Jammeh as >having said that he plans to introduce the Muslim law, Sharia in The >Gambia. This report cost Gomez his job. But today, Peter can raise his >head high. He was a victim of government heavy handedness. > >Beside the media censorship, the regime is also hell bent on inducing >voters who are perceived to be opposition supporters or sympathisers. >Poverty stricken farmers will not hesitate to sell their votes for a bag of >rice to feed their families in August. August is widely considered as a >difficult month in The Gambia. This is the time, when food is scarce in >many rural homes in The Gambia. This is the time, when farmers are >desperately awaiting to harvest their crops. This is the time, when >farmers face difficulty in paying their sons school fees. The September by >elections is really going to be interesting. It would determine the future >of The Gambia. > >The opposition is faced with a big challenge. It must work tirelessly to >prove to the world that it's capable of capturing the four contested seats. > Waiting until the 11 hour to cry foul is not the method to expose >electoral fraud. Free, fair and transparent is just more than voting. The >factors leading to the polls determine the fairness of any elections and >not mare voting. > >We hope and pray that both the opposition and the Ruling government will >adhere to the electoral codes. That the elections will be violent free. >That Yahya Jammeh will restrain his trigger happy uniform men to stop >meddling into active politics. Our brothers and sisters in uniform should >remember that governments come and go, but the state remain unmoved. They >should be loyal to The Gambia and her people and not Yahya Jammeh as a >person. Any attempt to intimidate voters, which had always been the >practise will not tell well on our fragile democracy. We expect the >security forces to remain neutral and avoid being used by the incumbent to >create mayhem in the tiny West African country. > >There is growing discontent among the civil populace today and any move to >intimidate voters will be greeted with strong resistance. It's >irresponsible on the side of Jammeh to incite his followers to respond to >what he termed as"any opposition provocation." Our cherished peace is >bound to be upset, if these irresponsible comments emanating from the >president cease to stop. Such statements can bring flames in the Gambia. >Be it Jammeh or the opposition should preach messages of peace and >reconciliation and not otherwise. Politics of violence will not move The >Gambia anywhere. > >Instead, it will bring more under development. God save The Gambia. Our >nation is still undergoing transition and it's up to Gambian electorates >to take the right decision to save the nation from Jammeh's misrule. 2006 >is a golden opportunity for Gambians to decide the future of their >country. Remember, you have no chance to make a second "impression". The >future lies in your hands. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- >How much mail storage do you get for free? Yahoo! Mail gives you 1GB! >Get Yahoo! 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