Makaveli,
I am sure you understand why it has taken so long to respond to your fourth
question. It is just now that I have the time to go through the mails.
What PDOIS needs most is determined by our strategic objectives. We aim to
empower the people mentally. Once the people know that power belongs to
them; once they fully comprehend that that power can only be exercised to
change their destiny by being organised, one must consider three-quarter of
the work to have been done.
It is our conviction that no enlightened and organised people can be
subjugated under any form of despotism. PDOIS' strength has been its
recognition in all parts of the country as a party which promotes the truth.
Its weakness has been the lack of mobilisation of adequate material and
human resources to be able to conduct consistent and persistent work among
the people in their homes, at their bantabas, farms and everywhere they are
found.
This took years of persistent work by very few people instead of just simply
appointing vote catchers everywhere as chairmen and chairwomen to develop a
new brand of party workers in the villages whose aim is not simply to
deceive and manipulate voters, but to enable them to pursue their
enlightened interest. Finally, we are getting there. Committees for the
enlightenment of the people have been formed in every constituency.
Application after application is reaching our office. We now have abundant
volunteers who are ready to work to promote the mental liberation of the
Gambian people.
What we need are material resources. We have to send information to all our
branches on a regular basis through cassettes and press releases so that
they can be kept informed on all developments in the country for onward
transmission to the people. Even though supporters are struggling with their
own bicycles, we need at least one party bicycle for every district or
constituency. We need to build up centres in all administrative areas to
coordinate work in all the constituencies. The frequency of visits by
informed party workers to sensitise members of other village committees need
to be expanded. Links between the committees in the different administrative
areas also need to be developed. We do have people using their own motor
bicycles to carry out party tasks. We need one motor bicycle for each of the
seven administrative areas to coordinate the work of the various committees
in each of the administrative areas on a more consistent basis. We need any
contribution that any Gambian wishes to make to enable us to do countrywide
tours on a more intense basis. In short, the more material resources we
have, the more effective we become since the human resources are growing on
a very rapid basis.
On the question of voting abroad, we have addressed a letter to the
Independent Electoral Commission after my trip to the United States.
Notwithstanding, the IEC has taken its own initiative on the question. The
following is an extract from minutes of a meeting of the IEC and all the
active political parties, the Service Chiefs and two Secretaries of State
held on Tuesday, 4 July 2000:
"Registration of Gambians Resident Abroad
"The matter was being considered by the IEC as provided in the Elections
Decree, 1996 under Section 141 mandating the Commission to enable Gambians
resident in foreign countries to take part in the election of President of
the Republic. The Chairman informed the meeting that IEC addressed the issue
in the documents relating to the National Governance Policy Framework, The
National Governance Programme and the National Round Table Conference.
US$10,000 (ten thousand U.S. dollars) was estimated to enable a feasibility
study to be carried out. After that, modalities and criteria for the
selection of countries for the exercise would be set to enable Gambians
resident in those foreign countries, to take part for the first time in the
history of The Gambia, the election of the President of the Republic."
The pressure should, therefore, intensify from Gambians abroad to have their
rights recognised and respected. I hope I have answered all your questions.
Greetings.
Halifa.
----- Original Message -----
From: Mr Makaveli <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 11:39 PM
Subject: To Halifa Re: 10 Questions To Halifa (Sorry, there was a Q.4)
> Here is Question #4
>
> 4.Mr Sallah,What is MOST NEEDED by opposition parties such as PDOIS for
> instance, that Gambians in the Diaspora can offer that will in
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