Mr. Dampha:

I could not agree more with your analysis and your answer to the BBC
question.  A life lost in any election is one too many.  But until the
day comes when Africans can freely choose their leaders without violence
and intimidation and those voted in assume power peacefully, we must
continue to insist on "free and fair elections" with international
observers.

The flawed elections and rigged results in The Ivory Coast and
Yugoslavia about a month ago, must not be underestimated as they indeed
served as the catalyst for mass revolts.  I suspect that the regrettable
loss of life in both case may be much lower than a potential, protracted
civil war. Given the choice between the two, I will opt for free and
fair elections and work toward its realization.  It is a normative
preference and this does not detract from your professed choice.

Cheers!
Abdoulaye

Dampha Kebba wrote:
>
> In a recent BBC 'Talking Point' discussion the question was posed: 'The
> attempt to return the Ivory Coast to civilian rule has ended in acrimony and
> violence. So do elections really solve anything or do they simply bring a
> new set of problems?'
>
> My response was: 'African elections can solve problems if they are free,
> fair and transparent from the onset. If you have an electoral process that
> is hijacked from the get go by a dictator (e.g. Ivory Coast), the elections
> will create more problems than they will solve. People who feel robbed by
> the dictatorship will try to take the law into their own hands. So long as
> African governments refuse to ensure a level playing field for all political
> parties, elections will continue to be a problem for Africans.
> Kebba Dampha'
>
> At that time, little did people know that the situation in Ivory Coast was
> going to deteriorate to this level. There are reports that more than twenty
> people were killed in clashes between Gbagbo and Ouattarra supporters.
> Something that most African leaders take for granted is the basic notion of
> fairness. What is wrong with having another election contest in Ivory Coast
> and may the best candidate win? The behavior evinced by Guei and now Gbagbo
> is why there cannot be peace in our nations. There is rampant injustice and
> unfairness. Animalistic instincts will always urge man to revert back to the
> notion of survival of the fittest. But civilized societies put a check on
> those instincts by legislating societal norms that frown on such behavior.
> Maybe Bill Clinton and the Democrats would have liked to see Clinton run for
> a third term. But the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids that.
> It is unheard of to think that Bill Clinton will declare a state of
> emergency and use the military to force Congress to repeal the 22nd
> Amendment. The reason this notion is so ridiculous is because people in the
> U.S. will not allow that to happen. There will be millions ready to put
> their lives on the line to make sure that that does not happen. Well this
> notion might be laughable in the U.S., but that is exactly what our rulers
> in Africa do to us all the time. They use brute force and turn the laws and
> norms upside down so that they can perpetuate themselves in power. Africans
> should also reach a level where our societies will set certain basic
> parameters and ensure that people that want to rule us operate within those
> parameters. If Colin Powell wanted to use his contacts in the Defense
> Department in the U.S. to try and install George Bush as president, Powell
> will be admitted into a mental home. We should also reach a stage where if
> thugs like Yaya wake up and want to hijack the country, we will capture them
> and lock them up at Campama. But most of the time, we will have very selfish
> and complacent people that will try very hard to see some good in the
> dictatorship and will appease the dictatorship and help it entrench itself.
> That is why Ouattarra and his supporters should not let go of things as they
> are right now. They should force Gbagbo to do the right thing and call fresh
> elections for everyone. They should not buy any empty promises from Gbagbo.
> Not too long ago Guei made promises that every ten year old knew he would
> not keep. Dictatorships have to be attacked from the onset and they should
> be attacked decisively. To me, it is as clear as daylight what needs to be
> done in Ivory Coast. The players also know what is the right thing to do.
> But left to their selfish desires, they will not do it. They need to form a
> government of national unity, repeal the unfair constitutional provisions
> that prevented legitimate contestants from running in the October elections,
> hold free and fair elections within three months. During all this time, the
> army and other security forces should stay out of the political scene. They
> should not side with any party. There is nothing wrong (per se) with a
> constitutional provision that requires presidential candidates to fit
> certain nationality criteria. In the U.S., naturalized citizens are not
> allowed to run for president. But the difference with the Ivorian situation
> is that in Ivory Coast, xenophobia and corruption is what is behind this
> legislation as opposed to national security concerns. Furthermore, I
> understand that the courts during the military regime would not even allow
> the guy to prove that he falls within the required criteria. What the
> authorities in Ivory Coast are trying to do, is reposition the goal-post
> during the game. That is wrong. They should not just promulgate a law
> targeted at disenfranchising certain opponents.
> Opposition parties in Gambia should learn a very important lesson here.
> Parameters have to be set well before the elections. The opposition has to
> be united in its resolve to enforce the rules set for a free and fair
> electoral PROCESS. The opposition should be ready to challenge the
> authorities if the process is violated. When that time comes, there should
> be no fence-sitting and tactical maneuvering. Gbagbo is currently suffering
> because he was a hypocrite. Had he sided with the rest of the opposition
> against Guei's clearly illegal and unethical moves, his (Gbagbo's)
> supporters would not be in the streets battling supporters of Allasane
> Ouattarra. He would not have had problems being recognized as president of
> Ivory Coast by nations like France and the U.S. In short, these slimy
> tactics always fail. The system can work for us if our leaders have the
> political will and the good heart to do what is right. God will not come
> from the skies to fight our battles. If parliament in Gambia refuses to pass
> legislation that can make local government elections materialize, the
> opposition should force the parliament to do its job. If the IEC chairman
> shows some corrupt and cowardly tendencies, the opposition should ensure
> that he is removed. If we have a British High Commissioner in the Gambia who
> makes statements that makes you wonder whether the guy actually lives in the
> country, it is the duty of the opposition to educate the gentleman. If we
> have a government that would massacre defenseless children in broad
> daylight, it is the job of the opposition to ensure that justice is done.
> KB
>
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