Karamba,
This is a good one, as you might observe the cry for the unification of
Gambians abroad as a foundation to the African Unity or liberation.
The situation at home need an urgent attention both at the opposition and
the individual level be it at home or abroad.
The Struggle Continues!!!
Ndey jobarteh
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 26 September 1999 16:49
Subject: Re: A winning Alliance
>Suppose representatives of UDP, PDOIS and NRP retreat into a room
somewhere
>in town and work tirelessly until a deal is cut that encompasses to an
extent
>what each of them feels is the right path for the country. At the
suceesful
>conclusion of the talks leaders of all three parties emerge to publicly
>initial the agreement and an addendum that broadly describes the agenda
they
>intend to pursue. Here is what I envisage to be at the core of such a
>historic allaince.
>1-A single slate for both the presidential and parliamentary elections
that
>would pin alliance members only against the APRC. This would mean the
faction
>with the most viable candidate would present the alliance's choice for a
>particular constituency. This would avoid spliting the vote in such
critical
>constituencies as Serrekunda east and west.
>2- A strategic decision to vigourously campaign for only 26 constiuency
seats
>because trying to equally compete in all would spread them too thin to
>effectively do the kind of door to door campaign centered on personailities
>crucial in electoral politics in Gambia
>3-While the UDP would field the Presidential candidate, the agreement must
>give Pdois atleast two cabinet portfolios they believe they can make the
most
>impact in with a clear cut mandate to shape it in a manner that reflects
>their ideas. Similarly the NRP too should have one cabinet position.
Besides
>the cabinet allocations the coalition partners would all pertake in the
>general direction of any and all government policy especially those at the
>core of their agreed upon agenda. The presidency would be structured so
that
>the Chief Executive is able hear out all his partners enabling him to make
>well informed decisions that do not necessarily reflect the minds of his
>close aids even if those people turn out to be the best.
>4-Since reforming the structure of the Gambia government which they all
>concluded during their coalition talks is utterly dysfunctional, a small
>technical group would be empanneled to come up with ideas that would tailor
>the government to do the people's business in a much more efficient manner
so
>that by 2001 a blueprint for the new government structure would be ready
for
>implimentation.
>
>Finally since this grand coalition would actually have be elected to begin
to
>reverse what has surely been a sorry post independence history, a
manumental
>effort to secure resources has to be a critical part of the entire effort.
>In that case two things are clear: first they need a lot of mnoey to
>successfully campaign since they would be either ostracised or totally
>ignored by the shamefull entity that passes for our national media.
Secondly
>they would never be able to raise that kind of money from their supporters
>who are already reeling under grinding poverty. That then leaves those of
us
>who are abroad to do all we can to give the coalition a fighting chance.
>Sure it is a struggle for most of us out here , we are nonetheless the only
>hope if we are ever going to make a difference. To this end assuming the
>coalition comes into being before the end of the year, preparations can
begin
>for Mr Darboe , Mr Sallah and Mr Bah to embark on a one month swing into
>Europe and North America with message in hand and appeal for all the help
and
>support they can get from us the sons and daugthers of Gambia and all the
>while meeting US and European government officials. Here in the US they can
>meet and raise funds in auditoriums, town houses and apartments in the
>following regions where Gambians are centered: NewYork encompassing the New
>Jersey area, the Washington DC metro area comprising of DC ,Maryland ,
>Virginia and Pennsylvania,North Carolina , Atlanta where the very
proficient
>organiserscan get the folks from Texas and Florida to all come together
>and finally to Seattle where people in California can join up. I am sure we
>can have our great DJs, Kora players photographers and vodoe operators all
>pitch in to make for very successful fund raisers. It might be physically
>gruelling for the leaders but i am sure it is price they would very
wiiliing
>pay. A similar kind of swing can be arranged in Europe with special
emphasis
>laid on the need to meet as many people as possible. While they may not
>return with a plane load of money , they would surely have had heard from
us
>the assurance that they are not alone in their battle to make a difference.
>Helping them become a winning allaince, list members, would constitute the
>greatest contribution we can make from afar. By the same token the
opposition
>politicians must realise that a divided house can never stand and they
would
>be condemning themselves to perpetual marginalisation and the nation to the
>abyss if they insist on singularly taking on a ruthless tyrant. I say come
>together now.
>
>Karamba
>
>
>
>
>european governmet officials
>
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