I have been waiting for Mr. Bahoum to reply to my questions. There is much
that is unclear about this London meeting. I will addresss all the issues
raised once I know who organised the London meeting and the agenda for
inviting leaders of parties to the meeting. Was it just to give briefing to
a British MP or something else? If I don't hear from Mr. Bahoum by Thursday
I will
begin to defend PDOIS' integrity in cyber space.
We wish to remind Gambians that this is an election year. We have call on
all serious Gambians to mobilise resources and send it to the parties of
their choice.
The UDP is engage in byelections in Central Baddibu and Kiang East. We have
been following comments from the leaders of the party to note what their
grievences are in order to determine what to expect in future elections.
Lamin Juwara was interviewed by Citizen FM. Gambians abroad should ask their
relatives at home for copies of the interview in order to know what is being
said prior to the elctions.
There are those who claim that PDOIS is afraid to say things ''that would
cause Yaya Jammeh to lock them up or banish them some where''. Fortunately
Citizen FM and Radio 1 FM are informing the Gambian what political parties
are saying in the Gambia. Gambians abroad should contact their relatives or
friends to find out what is being said by the different parties on all
fundamental issues.
Clarity is what enable a people to make informed choices. Debate is the
mother of clarity. We are not offended by any thing written. It simply
avails us the opportunity to clarify many issues and leave people to form
their opinion about PDOIS. The Gambian people are indeed moving to take
charge of their destiny. They are their own saviours and will make their own
decisions as to who will make policies for them to promote their general
welfare.

Greetings
Halifa

----- Original Message -----
From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 7:23 PM
Subject: Re: Response to PDOIS's Reaction.


> KB,
>
> I'm still choked with stuff to do, so forgive me for butting in late. I
> share most of your sentiments regarding PDOIS' reaction to the London
> meeting. I had resolved not to criticize them on this forum, after meeting
> Mr. Sallah here last year. I've had to break that pledge a few times
before,
> because of the way they were going after Hamjatta. Though in fairness to
the
> PDOIS people, Hamjatta hammered them first. So, they declared open season
on
> him. But, given the positions that PDOIS keeps taking -as opposed to any
> other party back home- relative to the murderous APRC regime, I can
> understand why Hamjatta finds it impossible to restrain himself. PDOIS'
> condescending reaction to the London meeting is a case in point.
>
> I believe PDOIS seriously erred in several ways:
>
> 1. PDOIS' stand that travelling to London to "brief a British MP"
tantamount
> to admitting impotence on the side of the Gambian opposition is baseless.
In
> fact, it's preposterous. Anyone with basic knowledge about the Gambia
knows
> that the country survives on foreign aid. That of course, comes with
> strings. So, as much as we'd like to pretend to be an "independent"
nation,
> the nations whose handouts keep our tiny economy spluttering, have a lot
of
> say in how our nation is governed. Sad, but the truth. The AFPRC's
> turn-around regarding their original desire to hang on the reins of power
> for four years, was mainly due to outside pressure: "No Elections, No Aid
> money." No secrets there. So, are so many other cosmetic improvements in
> good governance in The Gambia. Which makes me wonder why PDOIS would even
> pretend that opposition members briefing some British MPs on The Gambia is
> folly, a waste of time, or anything extra-ordinary?
>
> 2.  This one is simply sad. PDOIS keeps invoking the names of former PPP
> govt. officials as a negative connotation of the London meeting. The same
> posture the Jammeh govt. has taken, one may add. However, the same govt.
> doesn't hesitate to use, or appoint members of the last PPP govt. machine
if
> it serves its interest: Buba Baldeh, E.K. Sarr, Aji Fatou Sallah, etc,
etc.
> But from a human perspective, what do we expect from the PPP people?
> Personally, I can't think of any better place where Sir Dawda and co ought
> to have been on that February day than at that London meeting. Let's face
> it: These people were kicked out screaming.  They were accused and
vilified
> as the most corrupt, most nepotic, and most undemocratic people ever to
> defile Gambian soil.  Some of these people like OJ (for whom I now have
much
> respect,) were arrested and subjected to really inhumane treatment
including
> physical torture! Think of most types of de-humanizing treatment, and
> chances are, most of the PPP people have been subjected to it. And they
> continue to be harassed and their lives threatened on a daily basis. Time
> being the great arbiter that it is, has shown their erstwhile accusers to
be
> every bit worse than they ever were. But somehow, these vindicated people
> shouldn't even call for the normalcy that obtained during their tenure in
> office to return. I wonder what gives PDOIS or any Gambian for that
matter,
> the right to silence these people anymore. Yes, they screwed up; No, they
> shouldn't be put in office again; But you darn straight, they've EARNED
the
> right to be at the forefront of the fight against the fraud who illegally
> uprooted them only to out-do them in every crime sphere imaginable. I'm
> really interested in hearing why PDOIS thinks the PPP people shouldn't be
> visible in the fight against Yaya Jammeh at this point in time. I noticed
> code words like we want change, but "change should be for the better" in
one
> of their letters. Well, get this PDOIS: Having the last PPP govt. back
will
> be a "change for the better!" Why not ask the average Modu or Kumba on the
> street?  Yaya Jammeh has simply accomplished a Herculean task, something
> really unimaginable to many of us only six years ago: He has turned the
PPP
> era into "the good old days" in The Gambia! It's a shame that PDOIS fails
to
> get this.
>
>
> 3. On a practical level, our tiny nation is at the mercy of Yaya Jammeh.
For
> all practical purposes, the Opposition and the parliament in the Gambia of
> today are merely symbolic. Yaya Jammeh not only sets the rule; he IS the
> rule and the law! The man simply does what he wants.  Damn any of his
> opponents. And because of our relative geo-political and economic
> insignificance, Yaya Jammeh will kill a lot more of our people before the
> outside world notice anything -unless we raise the alarm early! The PDOIS
> statement envisaged a scenario where Sheriff Dibba would have attempted to
> register as a candidate in the forth-coming bye-elections; then to
challenge
> his ban in court if refused registration, etc, etc. This sounds like a
joke
> to me. To test constitutionality, or the rule of law in the Gambia, PDOIS
> doesn't need an old timer like Sheriff Dibba as a test case. How about
suing
> the govt. for the murder of the little kids killed last April? That is a
> bigger crime (committed by this govt.) than banning any politician. And
even
> as I write this, the Yaya Jammeh govt. still has a "shoot to kill" policy
at
> unmarked borders like the Giboro village border crossing. How about suing
> for the families of the two people who were killed in cold-blood recently?
> Or if these subjects are "volatile" or "confrontational," how about suing
> Yaya Jammeh for defying the wish of the Gambian majority to have TERM
LIMITS
> entrenched in our constitution as clearly stipulated in the National
> Consultative Committee report?
>
> We all know exactly what will happen if anyone tries to seek redress for
the
> victims in any of the incidents cited, or the subversion of the people's
> wish in the NCC report. Like I pointed out to Mr. Sallah before, what we
> have in the Gambia, is a "simulation of democracy." If one wants to be
> fancy, it could be called "legalized authoritarianism." Legalized, because
> of a staged election that was meant to be rigged from the word "go." But,
in
> any case, the Gambia's democratic credential is a sham, a big public lie.
No
> honest observer of the Gambian scene can miss such an obvious fact. Which
is
> why, one has to wonder why smart folks like the PDOIS people keep throwing
> out amazingly naive ideas about this rogue govt.  It is in the govt.'s
> interest to keep the outside world in the dark about the true nature of
the
> Jammeh regime. PDOIS is the only party that readily helps the govt. in
that.
> And one has to ask: "what is in it for PDOIS?"
>
> Also, I can't help but add to the protests about the PDOIS line on Jawara.
> Frankly, I thought the party was over Jawara. But as the line ".Jawara is
> lucky to have Hamat Bah and not a PDOIS rep." clearly reveals, they still
> have their daggers out for the Old Pa. When it comes to Jawara, PDOIS
never
> passes up an opportunity to attack, and denigrate the man. Yet, the same
> PDOIS will declare that they're against "the politics of personal insults"
> when it comes to Yaya Jammeh. I remember fully well PDOIS' maiden days. I
> was a senior in High School, and one of my past times was to visit the
PDOIS
> HQ at Bunding, a block from the mosque. I also clearly remember the theme
of
> PDOIS' first round of symposia: "The Senegambia Confederation." Those who
> think PDOIS is a party of dour, or lifeless characters, should find a tape
> cassette of PDOIS' symposium on the Senegambia Confederation. Their sense
of
> humor was palpable, and very infective. The way they lampooned the PPP
> people, was simply hilarious.  And they got their message through to the
> masses. Makes one think of the Wollof proverb of  "shooing away one's
> chicken, while saying what one intends to say." Simply put, if one cared
to
> see the silliness and petty hypocrisy of the PPP people in the '80s
exposed,
> one needs not go any further than a PDOIS symposium. That was MY PDOIS. It
> was the party I fell for. The one we have now is unrecognizable to me.
> Because, if one had paid millions to invent a bumbling buffoon of a
> political opponent, one simply couldn't have come up with a better product
> than Yaya Jammeh. To any of his opponents who dare examine the man's
> character, Yaya Jammeh is god-sent. Simple! What do you call: a
> thirty-something year old, who publicly humiliates himself by wearing
> clothes meant for septuagenarians; Or if that's not enough, he carries a
> staff laden with "magical" juju reminiscent of the Mansa (kings) of the
> ancient Mali empire? Or carries a chaplet in his left hand when three-year
> olds in Quranic school know better? Or goes on TV to brag about how
wealthy
> he is -when 90% of the population is undergoing disguised starvation? Just
> to cite a few of Yaya Jammeh's colorful achievements. Yet, the new PDOIS
> openly keeps away from such subjects, because they're not interested in
the
> "politics of personal insults." 'You ain't fooling me' PDOIS, as they say
> around here.
>
> One can genuinely question Sir Dawda's democratic credentials, because it
> was indeed spotty at times. But, overall, it's totally dishonest for PDOIS
> to be still sticking to their professed stance that "there's no difference
> between the PPP and the APRC." At the height of PPP rule, Halifa Sallah
> personally confronted Sir Dawda at a Serrekunda polling station to point
out
> to him that he was violating election rules by trying to unduly influence
> the election by his presence on Election Day 1987. According to first hand
> reports, the man concurred with Mr. Sallah's observation, just turned
> around, and left without any incident. I missed that encounter by less
than
> five minutes -literally. I remember the day like it was this morning. Some
> of OJ's people were so livid, it wasn't funny. I stood and listened to
many
> of those people saying of Halifa Sallah things like: "he should be glad
that
> this is Jawara. Anywhere else, he won't see the sun again". "This man
thinks
> he's the most educated Gambian." "'key hamutt Bo-pam' (the man is
> arrogant,") etc, etc. I have no doubt in mind that Halifa Sallah or no
other
> PDOIS stalwart will EVER try any such thing with Yaya Jammeh. And we all
> know why. In fact, Halifa Sallah is on record here as saying basically
that,
> PDOIS wants to keep doing their thing without provoking anything that
would
> cause Yaya Jammeh to lock them up, or "banish" them somewhere. So, here we
> have a situation where PDOIS itself basically admits that the political
> environment is more adverse today than what obtains under the PPP, yet the
> party keeps clinging to the spurious claim that the PPP is no better than
> the Jammeh regime. There's something truly dishonest about that. One would
> be remiss for failing to accord Mr. Sallah and PDOIS what is truly theirs.
> Equally, fairness dictates that we give Jawara and the PPP people what is
> rightfully theirs. I can't resist invoking St. Thomas Aquinas' wise lines
on
> justice again: "To treat equals unequally, or unequals equally is an
> injustice." Yaya Jammeh is simply no Sir Dawda Jawara. So, to keep
equating
> the two in terms of their rule, is an injustice to Sir Dawda, and
> increasingly an insult to anyone who lived under PPP rule! A group of
inept
> and mainly incompetent people, they were. Common criminals, they were not!
> I have no doubt that history will be more kind to them than the APRC. Or
at
> the very least, PDOIS ought to stop the pretense that they're not engaged
in
> a personal vendetta, when they jump at every opportunity to ridicule the
PPP
> people, but keep finding excuses not to play Jammeh the same card, or even
> worse rationalizing some of the evil that the Jammeh govt. does by telling
> us that the APRC inherited such and such from the PPP. If Yaya Jammeh will
> kill one for something that Sir Dawda gracefully accedes to, how on earth
> can these two people's regimes be the same?
>
> Be as it is, the Gambian majority is fairing far worse under Yaya than it
> did under Jawara whether in terms of civic rights, or economics. This is
an
> open secret. We know what Jawara did, or failed to do. And we also know
that
> what Yaya Jammeh is doing to us is worse than anything we've ever seen
under
> Jawara. It is the duty of our "wanna be" leaders to expose and stand
firmly
> and unequivocally against the criminal syndicate that the Yaya Jammeh
govt.
> is. If PDOIS cannot stand with the rest of the opposition against the
APRC,
> the least the party ought to do is keep its silence. PDOIS' unfortunate
> statement on the London meeting has done nothing but muddled the waters,
and
> sent the wrong message to this criminal govt. that they're faced with a
> divided opposition. It is partly due to a similar myopic position that
> PDOIS' took in 1996 in the form of "there's nothing wrong with Yaya Jammeh
> turning the AFPRC into a political party and running for president" that
> clearly encouraged Yaya Jammeh to change his clothes and self-succeed.
That
> statement conveniently ignored qualifiers like the need for a level
playing
> field (which was IMPOSSIBLE to have with Yaya Jammeh as AFPRC Chairman and
> APRC Presidential candidate) in the pursuit of true democracy. Thus the
mess
> we're in now. We don't need another such blunder, no matter what PDOIS
calls
> it! If PDOIS is to ever become an alternative candidate for power in the
> Gambia, the party will have to strive to appeal to a broader demographic
> group than the current narrow strata that is dominated by people with
blind
> zealot proclivities. For which the rest of us are thankful. (The fewer of
us
> that follow PDOIS this way, the better for our nation.) PDOIS' unnecessary
> and sanctimonious intransigence is simply too much for an increasing
number
> of EDUCATED Gambians. If the party can pull itself out of this tinderbox
of
> their own making, there may yet be a lifeline. Otherwise, PDOIS as a
serious
> contender of public office in The Gambia, is all but dead! Call me an
> arrogant prophet of doom, or what have you, but I'm willing to bet anyone
> that on its present path, PDOIS will actually win FEWER votes in the next
> election than it did in 1996! People are sick and tired of PDOIS playing
> footsie with Yaya Jammeh!
>
> Sorry, I have to break my vow not to go off on PDOIS on this forum again,
> but PDOIS seems to miss the fact that the rest of the Gambia is simply
tired
> of the criminality of this APRC regime. Six years of multiple page letters
> haven't done the trick. As it is, even a re-incarnated PPP is preferable
to
> the time bomb we have right now. So why help the Jammeh govt. cover up a
> public lie that is clearly propelling our country into very dangerous
> territory?
>
> Good day.
>
> Saul.
>
>
>
> >Barrow, I join Hamjatta and commend you for your stance and honesty. I
> >renew my appeal and encourage other PDOIS supporters to view our
statements
> >in
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
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