From: Yahya Darboe <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: fwd: UDP Press Release of Election Boycott
>Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 05:21:36 -0500
>
>
The decision of the UDP/ppp/gpp coaltion to boycott the forthcoming
parliamentary election is in my view vindicated by the following part of its
Press statement:
>
>"The UDP led Coalition has become aware of the peculiar and special
>exercise
>embarked upon by the IEC to allow massive transfers of voters from one
>constituency to another barely two months after the Presidential elections.
>It is obvious that from October to November a few people would have
>genuinely changed residence and would find it more convenient to transfer
>their votes to enable them to vote in their new constituencies, but for
>voters to suddenly shift in their thousands from one constituency to
>another can only be regarded as a dubious and sinister arrangement by the
>IEC calculated to influence voting. We note particularly the huge transfers
>that have taken place to Bakau, Jarra Central and Upper Saloum to name a
>few. This practice does not show the sign for fair and equitable elections.
>
>The IEC has not been able to be totally independent of the Executive in
>several ways. The Judiciary proved very ineffective in the adjudication of
>the objections at the Revising Courts and heavily penalised the UDP
>objectors and their witnesses who testified to the registration of aliens.
>Other witnesses particularly in Mansa Konko were intimidated and harassed
>while some were imprisoned in Janjanbureh, their only crime being to expose
>the massive registration of non-Gambians. A petition on this matter was
>addressed to the Chief Justice and to date it has remained unanswered."

The UDP/ppp/gpp coalition's decision as Haruna Darboe rightly stated is
indeed honourable. The decision should be construed as an appropriate
reaction to apparent attempts by the APRC/IEC coalition to  bring about
through fraudulent means a one-party (APRC) National Assembly and by
implication a de facto one-party State.

The manipulation of the process of voters transfer from one constituency to
another, particularly from APRC strongholds to the opposition-held seats
such as Bakau (Dembo by force), Upper Saloum (Hon. Hamat Bah) and Jarra
Central (Hon. Kemeseng Jammeh) is a well-calculated numbers shifting game in
favour of the APRC.
Although, the APRC regime was able to secure its preference of a
rubber-stamp National Assembly from the 1997 parliamentary elections through
its over 2/3 membership domination of the Assembly, it nonetheless
considered the few opposition members that got into Parliament as deadly
thorns on its side. Honourables Hamat Bah, Sedia Jatta, Dembo Jatta and
Kemeseng Jammeh were far more effective in appraising government policies
than the combined members of the APRC. This is what the government wants to
end: constructive criticsm in the National Assembly which is dessiminated by
the media.
If the UDP-led coalition were to participate in the National Assembly
elections under the prevailing electoral conditions, they would have in
effect given credibility to a highly manipulated and flawed electoral
process whose only outcome would be another slap in the face of Gambian
democracy.
In my opinion, the decision allowing for 'unregistered voters' to vote
during the recently-held presidential election that emanated from State
House but which was conveyed at the very last minute by the regime's stooge
IEC Chairman warranted for a boycott of that election by the opposition.
Becuase that decision was announced when most Gambian voters had retired to
bed after having been earlier reassured by the same IEC chairman that only
registered voters would be permitted to vote, the UDP-led coaltion could not
react to the 'sell out' from the IEC except with disbelief and inevitable
participation in that flawed election.
Consequently, If the parliamentary elections were to proceed without the
UDP-led alliance and ultimately, the APRC/IEC/(NCP?) coalition succeeded in
acieving its objective of a National Assembly devoid of oppostion members,
the outcome would still be a one-party National Assembly but this would be a
parliament lacking in credibility or legitimacy.
The other opposition parties (PDOIS and NRP) should emulate the honourable
decision of the UDP by also boycotting the elections.
That is the right thing to do for the sake of Gambian democracy until  a
truly IEC is in place to oversee a free and fair electoral process in the
Gambia.

The yoke of oppression must be shattered!

Merry XMas and a happy new year to all members of the GL

><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>
>
>To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
>[log in to unmask]
>
><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>






_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>

To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>