Kanteh,
Jammehs' marriage of a third wife would have been trivial if not for the resentment shown by the public after the marriage of his Morrocan wife. I believe that the people have the right to know who their first lady is. Remember that the presidents' wife in the capacity of the first lady will be representing the people in various fora. This fact should not be overlooked. I agree with you that the mans' private life should be respected, but again when Jammehs' wife is to make a presentation or speech at some very important conference or gathering, she is not going to be presented as just another housewife, she will be presented as "the first lady of the Republic of The Gambia".
This, Mr. Kanteh, makes it all the more an important issue that the people be well informed about who will be representing them whether by elections, nomination or marriage. 
The fact is that, once you agree to get into politics, you should expect to be a subject of public debate the extent of which is only determined by your actions.

Just thinking out loud!

Abdoulie A. Jallow

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter".
 - Dr. M. L. King Jr.
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>
    To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
    Date: Friday, December 31, 1999 5:55 AM
    Subject: Re: Pres. Jammeh V. The Independent Newspaper
    
    
    Cherno,
        thanks for the lecture on hacks, what constitutes a libellous act and
    African journalism. however, you didn't say why it is important for the
    editorial board of the Indepedent to risk clampdown for such a frivolous and
    trivial story about Jammeh's private life. which is more important the epoch
    making gathering of the MFDC and the Senegalese gov't in Banjul and Jammeh's
    "third wife"? isn't the Independent just trying to sell more papers by
    devoting it's front paper to a gossipy trivial issue like Jammeh's "third
    wife" which the Gambian populace would prefer over tedium gatherings
    aforementioned? the other papers did get tipped about this story but held
    their nose since when it comes to it, the story was not worth the trouble
    that the Independence is facing right now. Again I repeat: is Jammeh not
    entitled to the privacy that news hounds enjoy? isn't this just another bad
    example of your "Comrades-In-Arms" subtly changing the journalist ethics of
    "getting it right" to "getting it first"? Where is your sense of fairness? I
    contend thus that: stories like Jammeh's "third wife" is only fit for the
    back pages and ONLY if he decides to release a statement about it. Fit for
    publication ONLY in what I would I call "The Announcement Section."
        Frivolous chit chats like Jammeh's "third wife" are only fit for the
    arena of cocktail rumour mongering, gossips, snipes and "attaya vous" not in
    a very good paper like the Independent. Let the Independent tackle quality
    issues (no matter how mundane) that affect the daily lives of The People and
    not degenerate into the standards of Tabloid sententious gung-ho. That should
    be the message forthcoming from comrades like you. Not the lecture on how
    difficult it is to run a paper in Africa, which is not the issue in this case
    of The Indepedent and Jammeh's "third wife."
    Good Morning.
    Hamjatta Kanteh
    
    hkanteh
    
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