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Indeed. Dad, thanx for sharing. This tokenism is at the heart of local politics. Indeed it is the cancer of all politics and democratic governance. When you throw in the paucity of education and discernment, you get the fankung fankung tumor. The people of Brufut are like the people of Kanilai, Salikenye, Makumbaya, Wulli, Bansang, Banjul, Serrekunda, Brikana, Herzegovina, Bronx, Tripoli, Agadez, and Tananarive just to name a few. To these people who don't understand budget deficits and national debt, it was wealth taken away from them and given to another people. If that same wealth is returned to them, it all of a sudden appears to be a token of the rehabilitated thief. As in most cultures, they are predisposed to encourage that rehabilitation and will forgive prior delinquency. No matter whether the thief stole again to repay the debt owed them.

We now extrapolate Yahya to an Ousainou or Halifa government. There will be the same tokenism. Granted Ousainou and Halifa will endeavour for more sober distribution of wealth and may not have to steal it from one community to dole it to another, but the people will not understand that. They are not interested in the source. America has a whopping budget deficit. In order to vote for the Health Insurance Reform bill in the Senate, Nebraska demanded a token and so did Louisiana. Neither state can be faulted for demanding ransom because they realize the budget deficit and debt is another's creation and they have nothing to do with it. Why must they be destituted for another's idiocy???? The fact that there is a budget deficit and a national debt does not speak to the values inherent in these communities.

Why did I share this with you Dad? To help PDOIS in more effective campaigning for elections. Instead of harp on the Tokenism of the communities (condescending), we try to explain the crime. In other words Foroyaa ought not present the people of Brufut (the aversed) as decrepit tokenizers. Foroyaa should endeavour to explain to the people of Brufut that the criminal Yahya steals from one community and transfers half of the stolen wealth to another community while keeping the other half for himself. He then borrows the half's worth from another nation or prostitutes the value of Gambia for the half and gives yet another half of the receipts from borrowing and prostitution to the MFDC and other targeted elders to reorder the cards. In other words explain the crime and the criminality. If you transfer the blame on the ordinary citizen or a community, you are shooting yourself in the foot and you are being disingenuous. There will be tokenism whether it is a UDP/NRP or a NADD government. It is the character of the token that will differentiate the governments. I know Foroyaa's heart is in the right place. Just more competence in campaigning is what she needs for NADD.

Haruna. The same thing goes for quoting the constitution ad-infinitum. To a people who hardly know what you're talking about if you do not explain it properly. The social engineering part of PDOIS will take generations. The campaigning is for 2011. Allez-y my friend.

-----Original Message-----
From: Modou Nyang <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, Feb 8, 2010 8:09 pm
Subject: Foroyaa Editorial : The President and The Brufut Elders 5 Million Dalasi Donation

Foroyaa Editorial : The President and The Brufut Elders 5 Million Dalasi Donation

The meeting between the Brufut elders and President Jammeh reveals a very curious face of Gambian politics that few political leaders are trying to change. In this respect, it works against all leaders who depend on it for their political survival. What is that attitude?

The elders of Brufut told the President that their sons who are close to the government organised the meeting. They explained that the only reason why they were opposed to him is because of the decision of the government to appoint an Alkalo, whom they did not approve. They further emphasised that now that that has changed and a person has been appointed as the head man or Alkalo of the village, who is their child, they are now satisfied. They emphasised that an elder of Brufut, the late Alkalo, was the first person President Jammeh adopted as a father and that it was the elders of Brufut who first told him to change his military uniform into a civilian one.

Other party supporters of the APRC counseled the rest to focus their attention on how many sons and daughters of Brufut the President has made ministers or appointed to important posts.

Apparently, the President told them that even though Brufut welcomed him the men decided to stay away when he became President. He added that the men refused to embrace him. He indicated that since he the president controls the well he knew that they would have to come one day to request something from him. He concluded by giving them 1.7 Million dalasi and promised to add another 3.3 Million dalasi to make it 5 Million dalasi.

It should be clear to all Gambians that the positions the President can offer is limited and is financed by public funds. The money he has to give is also limited. If villages are to support President Jammeh only because one villager or another is appointed a Minister or officer, what then should be the attitude of villagers whose residents are not appointed? How many Millions could President Jammeh give to each village to build mosques, provide water, electricity and other infrastructure? Should the local and Central Government provide these things or the President? The Government had a deficit of 363 Million dalasi in 2009. It had to take loans to feel the gap. If the President has money to take care of the needs of every village that gives him support then why should the country have a budget deficit of 363 Million.

The Gambian people should move away from political tokenism. Selective appointments and allocations of Millions are mere political symbolisms, which only mesmerize those who do not understand the true function of the executive under a Republic.

Such an executive must derive authority from the consent of the people and utilise authority to promote general welfare, irrespective of party affiliation or origin. That is the type of system that we, the free men and women of the Republic, need.

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