Haruna
 
I thank you for your usual perceptiveness in paragraphs 3 & 4 of your response.
 
Clearly, the legacy of despotism is rarely pretty. As such, I am reluctant to embrace the blanket contention that 'unconstitutional' change of political leadership is always illegitimate. The case for Conte's cabinet to remain at the helm of Guinean affairs is not remotely persuasive, its civilian colours notwithstanding. 
 
On the other hand, there is demonstrable historical evidence to suggest that greatness can ultimately emerge from the political conversation of force. Your pet West African country is thus far a convincing progeny of the great experiments in  forceful transfers of political authority. I am thinking about the United States, and France. 
 
La Guinea heading in similar direction, i.e., in Mali's? The experiment takes nothing from a people without any say for a whole fifty years.
 
My regards, and methinks Jados has a point.
 
 
 
 
 
 
LJDarbo
 
 
 
 

--- On Thu, 25/12/08, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: La Guinea in Flux
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, 25 December, 2008, 5:03 PM


 

JDAM, good to hear you again. Best wishes for the holidays. In Jesus' name, Amen.
 
You raise critical questions which require more than casual answers. It is the intersection of culture and law where I lack the requisite proficiency for a people. I will however share general principles as they pertain to La Guinea and perhaps Gambia and other nation-states.
 
In general, I do not see any difference between a civilian despot and a military dictator. The military dictator is a civilian despot in uniform. To the extent the military is a microcosm of civil society, the two are one and the same. In a lawless nation or a nation where legal authority is vested only in the presidency, there is an inordinate appetite for the presidency to complete designs and crimes. The presidency becomes the sanctuary of criminals, despots, and dictators. What the military has going for it is the mirage of patriotism wrapped in the national colours, giving an air of entitlement, generally undeserved.
 
As regards ascent to power (the presidency) in La Guinea, it is the lawlessness and disregard for orderly ascendancy that accords 'unconstitutional' ascendancy its 'legitimacy'. In effect, and given the extant conditions in La Guinea, such ascendancy to power (presidency) is by default 'legitimate'. It is ill-advised, but defaultively legitimate. It is a vicious cycle that risks being intractable to inure a purely banana republic.
 
There is another solution that offers centripetal force away from the artificial locus of power.
 
A council of governors, drawn from elders of La Guinea's constituent tribes, to infuse sanctity back into the constitution and governance. A constitution that places the military back in its role as defender of La Guinea's sovereignty. This multi-ethnic governing council to oversee legislative and presidential elections and de-emphasize the value of the presidency for it is mainly ceremonial. A synthesis much like that of Iran but instead of a religious governing council, it will be an ethnic governing council. Members of the military ought to be given an opportunity to seek the presidency in such constitution provided they follow a regimen of separation from the military to include rank, title, and reasonable period of divorce from the military. Equal effort must be put into the proper management and constitution of the military as is put into the legislature and Judiciary. The adhoc governing council becomes the defacto electoral commission to replace
 the CENI (that was put together by Conte'). The military goes back to barracks to continue the honourable function of defending La Guinea from enemies of the state, both internal and external. We know France is lurking in the background to claim her lost prize. France must not be allowed to meddle in La Guinea or other nation. Ever again.
 
    

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Lamin Darbo 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2008 2:31 AM
Subject: Re: La Guinea in Flux






Haruna
 
Would you say there is a difference between a civilian despot, and a military dictator, between civilian, and military maladministration?
 
What is your take on the contention that an 'unconstitutional' ascent to power, as is looking likely in "La Guinea", constitutes legitimate process in the political conversation? 
 
In the spirit of your laudable ecumenical bent, I wish you a memorable Christmas
 
 
 
 
 
LJDarbo

--- On Wed, 24/12/08, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: La Guinea in Flux
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, 24 December, 2008, 6:32 PM



#yiv840486783 #yiv1907180525 .hmmessage P {
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Jados,
 
I am humbled by your commendation and I will be remiss if I do not acknowledge that fellow citizens like you make it worthwhile for me to bear on sobriety in my engagements.
 
I do not have nor do I seek extraordinary knowledge into La Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, or other west African nation. I began with the premise that the region comprises the same people and ethnicities much like Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America, and Australia. My inordinate focus on the region in the services of The Global Democracy Project has only sharpened my understanding and discernments, not any inordinate access.
 
That I may not take sides among those ethnicities and must effort to stifle occultist tendencies by any of the constituent tribes.
 
That La Guinea's sovereignty, physical boundary notwithstanding, is intertwined with the sovereignties of Mali, Senegal, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and upper Volta, to a lesser extent the Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana, Mauritania, and to a lesser extent Chad. 
 
News is a commodity and can be accessed by any and all of us at any time. What makes the news is the significant part of the equation. We should all make sure, whether Guineans or not by birth, that the news produced is benign and progressive. Because WE make the news. Don't believe the hype to the contrary.
 
Thank you again Jados for the acknowledgement and I encourage you to work with me in The GDP and determine the ware of our own lives. If we leave it to the World Bank, EU, IMF, corporate consortia, roving bandits, or any singular tribe, our concentric rings of life will be forever untethered. Like the Commonwealth fund of funds underwrote the crime of Yahya and Carnegie minerals, the World Bank underwrites the crime of General Lansana Conte' and Rio Tinto. All the while siphoning the loot to the Madoffs, to be used in our continued enslavements. 

While we fret over insignificant religion, the rug is being pulled from under our feet.
 
God bless and happy holidays Jados.



Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:51:15 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: La Guinea in Flux
To: [log in to unmask]



Bro Haruna,
I am both surprised and impressed by your indept knowledge of Guinea. Sometimes I wonder if it is because you are very current on news filtering from there or you have blood ties from Guinea. Respect!
Even though I have very limited time to read all the messages, yours make a priority always. I enjoy your analytical style and the skill you use to develop your stories. Your choice of vocab and expressions are good too. But above all, you know where to dig out interesting news.
Coming back to Guinea, please keep us informed! I also enjoy the Mali stories you were passing over.
 
Merci bcp!
 
Jados


2008/12/24 Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]>


We mourn the passing of General Lansana Conte', second president of La Guinea since independence. May Allah forgive him and may the Almighty guide Guineans with his infinite wisdom.
 
General Lansana's passing before legislative elections in La Guinea is the flux that La Guinea cannot afford. I am confident when Prime minister Soare' yielded to demands for legislative elections last week, this was weighing heavily on his mind and that of the military. Now it is inevitable that the two elections must be held at the same time and it will not be pretty. However, I think La Guinea can weather the storm. She will need help from neighbours Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, SierraLeone, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau, and her development partners during these tenuous times.
 
I encourage the military to stand firm and dispel rumours of gratuitous coups. They must not allow rag-tag outfits to hijack La Guinea's future once more. Opposition parties and trades unions must also be wary of these marauding bands of hopeless infantrymen. A military coup is not in the interest of opposition parties, trades unions, students, and or La Guinea's development partners.
 
It goes without saying that the mining contracts signed by General Conte' for both RIO Tinto and Benny Steimetz are null and void. I am sure the two mining concerns understand that and that they will have to be re-negotiated by the newly elected government of La Guinea. I am very disappointed at the World Bank for the unwise decision to underwrite the Rio Tinto deal and equally disappointed at General Conte's brother-in-law for his part in encumbering La Guinea with BSG.
 
It is now a matter of necessity to complete expeditious elections, both legislative and Presidential, funds or no funds. It will be difficult because the PUP has convinced itself that the logistics and funds were not available for the legislative elections and they encumbered themselves with a cockamayme biometric system. Now the military must assist in ensuring free and fair elections in the shortest span of time. It will be wise to seek additional military support from Mali, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and perhaps Nigeria, to maintain the peace and order while La Guinea's military gets to work on the elections. All hands on deck.
 
Haruna. 
 
 
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