"...We entertain no
naivety that hammering a coalition would not present special problems of
intense agony. That notwithstanding, we firmly believe that those who aspire to
direct the destiny of a nation must be mature and pragmatic enough to
appreciate and navigate the bottlenecks inherent to a project of such gigantic
and critical import. Trapped as we are under a totalitarian dictatorship in a
nation without viable institutions, your challenge is akin to that of America’s
founding fathers, those architects of statehood who carved the world’s most
distinguished jurisdiction out of extremely acute conditions. Their enduring
legacy is not the phenomenal and extraordinary material prosperity of the
United States, but the creation of a nation of laws, and a land of liberty..."
****Our distinguished GON Editor and interviewer Demba Baldeh and I are on the same page here because he likes to peep into the thoughts of those he calls "subject matter experts". In "A Case for Coalition", I referred to them as
"sector-based knowledgeable Gambians". Same thing I think
"... We challenge
you to think through your election agenda and market your manifesto to a people
ripe for persuasion. The suffering majority of Gambians are solidly in the
opposition camp, and that gain must be maintained and nurtured over the next 24
months. To assume that conditions of general hardship and insecurity
means your mission is universally appreciated will constitute a
monumental misjudgement. As part of a manifesto preparation, it may be
advisable to consult sector-based knowledgeable Gambians on their vision
regarding some key aspects of our national life: education; agriculture;
health; trade; public works; local government; tourism; and the judiciary..."
****And finally I share the extract below with STGDP and those persuaded that a fully united front can do the job
".... As the political temperature in
the country rises over this year and next – and it must definitely will – and
as the heat pervades Jammehs several abodes, it is not inconceivable for the
tyrant to put out feelers for vacating office in exchange for immunity from
prosecution. In that eventuality, it is incumbent upon you as national leaders
to take a longer and broader view of state security and act accordingly. You
need not fret over the despot’s crimes once he is ready to head for exile.
If, on the
other hand, his rantings are anything to go by, the road to 2006 will bring
tragedy and sorrow to a people battered by official criminality in public life.
As the struggle to liberate The Gambia enters its most critical phase, your
role as party and coalition leaders may expose you to ultimate danger. You must
therefore educate the people on the strategy of mass demonstrations as a potent
method of political dialogue should government embarked on lawlessness and
extra judicial killings in the run up to the election.
To state in
categorical terms, once a coalition party leader is killed, the people must
come out in their hundreds of thousands to neutralise the thuggish security
forces and drive Dr Jammeh and his oppressive regime out of power. This must
constitute the key strategic alternative to the election itself. Countries such
as Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Haiti are eminent forerunners in this genre
for political change. Their people countered executive lawlessness and ejected
their brutal and yet cowardly dictators by the sheer force of their numbers.
The Gambia is ripe for such a revolution in light of the extra judicial
killings, the arson attacks, widespread economic hardship, and general state
criminality which are made routine features of our national life by Dr Jammeh
and his thugs..."
****I think your ideas are quite attractive Burama, but many may view them as too deliberative and time is clearly not on our side. Your methodology may give too much time to your Jammeh brother when the hurt is approaching near unbearable. I hope you are not buying time for him. How much was your fee? Just kidding!
LJDarbo