Comrades:
I again want to thank Sister Jabou Joh, Brothers Edrissa
Njie and Toure for their support in calling for a boycott
by the opposition. We have introduced a stance that I
hope will finally be adopted by the opposition.
The introduction of such a noble stance is in its
infancy. I want to reiterate that I will contribute
to fund the opposition and will continue to send my
monthly subscriptions to Brother Joe Sambou. Though
some members of the opposition have paid their contributions,
I want to propose that we send in monthly contributions.
I also want to encourage the leadership of the opposition
parties to engage the IEC in strategy and conditions for
participating in the presidential election. If these
conditions are violated, which I know they will, then
the opposition has no choice but honorably boycott the
elections.
I again want to thank everyone in this debate.
Naphiyo,
Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
------Original Message------
From: edrissa njie <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: May 3, 2001 10:43:44 PM GMT
Subject: Re: WHY I CALL FOR A BOYCOTT
Brother Owens,
Come October, Gambia shall be free only if a UNITED OPPOSITION sticks
together at those elections to say out loud in ONE VOICE: NO TO THE
DICTATOR!!!!!
Edrissa.
>From: Sanusi Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: WHY I CALL FOR A BOYCOTT
>Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 11:56:34 +0100
>
>Comrade Conteh
>
>I beg to defer on this issue. Any attempt by the
>opposition to boycott the October Elections would be
>regarded an act of treachery to the gambian people
>anxious for change.
>
>I note your reasons for boycotting the forthcoming
>elections. However, I remain of the view that they do
>not warrant opposition parties to boycott any
>elections.
>
>You will remember that in October 1996, there were
>rumours that UDP will boycott the parliamentary
>elections, on condition that certain steps are taken
>by the PIEC(IEC). Following a fruitful negotiation
>between the UDP and the IEC,the UDP lifted its threat
>of boycotting the elections. According to analysis the
>UDP "poor" performance is a direct result of their
>protracted negotiations with the PIEC(IEC). In other
>words, they entered the campaign platform a bit late.
>In fact it was reported that the UDP Candidate for
>Serrekunda East had already started campaigning for
>Halifa Sallah, believing that the UDP won't be
>participating in these election.
>
>My suggestion to the opposition is as follows;
>
>Organise a multi-party conference and discuss the
>problems they are encountering.
>
>Submit recommendations to both IEC and the APRC on how
>the elections should be conducted.
>
>Coming to the reasons which you believe should warrant
>a boycott, I beg to say that these could be addressed
>separately.In fact some of these do not warrant a
>boycott. I refer you to the following;
>
>(1)I do not believe that the continued ban on Sir
>Dawda and his former minister is sufficient enough.
>Yes the continued ban on first Republican politicians
>is unlawful, but there is an avenue which these
>politicians should have taken. The likes of SM Dibba,
>Assan Musa Camara and many others should have taken
>their case to the law courts and not expect a Moron to
>repeal Decree 89.
>OJ Jallow has already taken up this issue and I pretty
>sure a just decision would be delivered on his behalf.
>It is without doubt that Decree 89 is contrary to the
>1997 Constitution, a point already mentioned by
>Justice GSB Janneh in the OJ Jallow Case.
>(2) With regards to the unlawful firing of civil
>servants, once again, I consider an issue unworthy for
>the opposition to boycott any election. Civil Servants
>who feel affected by the constant hiring and firing,
>should resort to the law courts.
>
>(3) Concerning "One man rule by dictator of
>kanilai",to be honest with you, this should be a good
>reason why the opposition should participate in the
>elections. If not, how are we going to say Good Bye to
>Yahya and his reign of terror. Remember that in the
>past some opposition parties in other African
>Countries have used this as a factor for their
>boycott, only to see the Dictator being re-elected.
>
>Classic examples are
>
>Ghana in 1996-Opposition decided to boycott the
>parliamentary elections.
>
>Benin 2001-Joe Soglo decides to boycott the second
>round of the Presidential Elections
>
>Cameroon in 1997-SDP boycotts the parliamentary
>elections.
>
>The ultimate result in all these boycotts was that the
>ruling party stayed in power and received recognition
>from the International Community.
>
>With all this in mind, my suggestion for the
>opposition is to start making plans for pre-election
>conference on how a free and fair election should be
>conducted in the Gambia. I personally think to
>advocate for a boycott without making proper
>presentation to the relevant authorities is certainly
>a disservice to the Gambian majority yearning for
>change.
>
>Come October Gambia shall be free.
>
>
>Have a wonderful day
>
>Sanusi
>
>
>
>
>--- MLJ Conteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
>Comrades:
> >
> > May I begin by thanking Sister Jabou Joh and Mr.
> > Edrissa
> > Njie for their courage in endorsing the opposition
> > to
> > boycott the forthcoming presidential election in The
> > Gambia? I also want to thank PDOIS for its
> > courageous
> > foresight in intimating its desire in boycotting
> > future
> > elections in The Gambia. I emphatically want to
> > repeat
> > my call that no single opposition party in The
> > Gambia
> > can claim to have the soul right to our struggle.
> >
> > In a more simplistic term, Gambians must understand
> > the
> > underlying decisions or conditions that are
> > conducive
> > for a free and fair elections. No opposition
> > political party can ignore the plights of the
> > disbanded
> > politicians under Sir Dawda's legal government whose
> > rights are repeatedly been violated by moron
> > dictator yahya
> > jemus. No genuine free thinking Gambia who claims
> > to
> > induce himself or herself with political rhetoric
> > can
> > unilaterally avenge the political plight of the
> > majority
> > Gambian with a self-imposed political agenda in
> > freeing
> > The Gambian people. Our journey in this
> > far-reaching
> > struggle is a testament that ignorance and
> > selfishness
> > will result in the opposition wondering after the
> > unfaithful
> > day in October of what really happened to our
> > struggle.
> >
> > Does this mean that a new generation of Gambians
> > will seek
> > to salvage The Gambia in a traditional Gambian
> > style? I am of I the opinion that my
> > conscience and willingness
> > to speak the truth will enforce me to join others
> > after
> > the dictator rigs the elections. I cannot
> > consciously advocate for a participation
> > in the elections when those innocent Gambians who so
> > vehemently fought for the rights of all are
> > been constantly violated. Politics should not be
> > based on an ideology of vocation where individuals
> > are only
> > interested in their own achievements at the
> > detriment of
> > society. It is indeed refreshing that our attitudes
> > and convictions must be yielded in a phenomenon of
> > political indifference for the good of society. We
> > have
> > engaged in substantive dialogue for the good of The
> > Gambia. We believe in one kind that the dictator of
> > kaninlai is the worst thing that ever happened to
> > The
> > Gambia, and therefore our attitudes in summation
> > must be
> > sanctioned to a capacity of good will. The Gambian
> > country under the dictator of kaninlai is doomed to
> > fail
> > and as such our collaborative efforts must be
> > guiding
> > principles for a better and free Gambia.
> >
> > For those of us who have voiced our sentiments in
> > this
> > struggle, we must clearly define our intended
> > purpose
> > and draw parallel to historical precedents in
> > understanding
> > our engagement with the enemy. Why rock or ride a
> > broken
> > car that will stall at any moment? Why subject
> > yourself
> > to intimidation by the enemy who continues to deny
> > you
> > the right to political process? Why engage in
> > disunity
> > and refuse to admit that our own individual
> > political
> > satire against each other will backfire on our face?
> > Why will the opposition guaranty the dictator the
> > right
> > to deny us another five or six years of freedom?
> > The
> > opposition should know better. Please follow the
> > lead
> > of PDOIS and plan to boycott future elections if
> > Mr. Johnson and Mr. Fatty are not reinstated.
> >
> > These are the following reasons why I call for a
> > boycott:
> >
> > 1. Continued disbanding of Sir Dawda and his former
> > ministers.
> > 2. The unlawful firing of Bishop Johnson and Mr.
> > Fatty.
> > 3. The murder of innocent Gambian students.
> > 4. Dictator yahya jammeh's continued donation of
> > public
> > funds to social organizations without
> > appropriation.
> > 5. Continued one man rule by the dictator of
> > kaninlai.
> > 6. The buying of votes in the last bi-elections in
> > Central Badibou and Kiang East constituencies.
> > 7. The control of the media by the illegal
> > government.
> > 8. The unlawful imprisonment of Mr. Dumo Saho et al.
> > 9. The unlawful firing of The Gambian civil
> > servants.
> > 10.The use of local chieves as propaganda tools
> > against
> > our comrades.
> > 11.The establishment of the NIA aka KGB and
> > continued
> > harassment of our comrades.
> > 12.The innocent rape and killing of a Gambian school
> > girl.
> > 13.The torture and butcher of Mr. Ebrima Barry.
> > 14.The recent law passed by the house that is
> > retroactive
> > in protecting the security forces.
> >
> > Comrades, I am certain that numerous violations and
> > illegal
> > activities by the illegal government of the day will
> > serve as reasons that dictator yahya jemus will use
> > all
> > costs to continue his terror against innocent
> > Gambians.
> >
> > I want to reiterate that if the opposition
> > participates
> > in the presidential election, I will continue to pay
> > my contribution to help in unseating the dictator
> > despite
> > the fact that I strongly advocate a boycott.
> >
> > Naphiyo,
> >
> > Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
> >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of
> > postings, go to the Gambia-L
> > Web interface at:
> > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> > You may also send subscription requests to
> > [log in to unmask]
> > if you have problems accessing the web interface and
> > remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>____________________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
>or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>You may also send subscription requests to
>[log in to unmask]
>if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your
>full name and e-mail address.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
