Editorial:Lessons From Pirang-Editor Mathew Jallow closely examines the oppositon defeat!!!
        EDITORIAL 
  Around the world, Gambians of every political stripe are taking note of the turn of events in the just concluded Kombo East by-elections. Following the narrow loss by the opposition, emotions are running high, and ranging from utter dismay to sheer disbelief. Until yesterday, all indications were that a win by the opposition UDP/NRP candidate, Momodou Lamin Darboe, was a foregone conclusion. Tonight, many of us will go to bed to spend a sleepless night asking ourselves the hard questions; what went wrong, and how could this happen? Evidently, there is no one simple answer to a complex problem, but even as many different variables have come into play here, there are two over-riding issues that seem to influence the outcome of the elections. 
   
  Jammeh's atrocious human rights record alone is sufficient grounds to vote him out of office in a bleep.
  Firstly, this is a manifestation of the ignorance of our people. The average Gambian like his peers in other parts of Africa, is starving of political education. Until our people can learn to put their interests ahead of the interests of individuals who have no vested interest in seeing them educated and prosperous, there will not be much change. No doubt, the lack of education is clearly putting our country in peril, because Jammeh's atrocious human rights record alone is sufficient grounds to vote him out of office in a bleep. 
  Now, we have to ask our friend, brothers and sisters in Kombo East if by voting in an APRC candidate, they also condone the murders, tortures and baseless arrests and detention of our people.? Why would they vote for someone who was disgracefully discharged from his duties as chief owing to his corruption and abuse of power? I do not know about anyone else, but I personally think the people of Kombo East have betrayed our country by voting a Jammeh and APRC associate. 
  Secondly, is the raging debate about the opposition, and where we now stand at this crucial juncture. Already, fingers are pointing to the opposition as a group for the failure to capture this seat. If Kombo East became a testing ground for the coming nation-wide National Assembly and Presidential election, the pendulum swing is not yet conclusive, but the election results are worrisome nonetheless. 
  The fact that the combined votes of the opposition far exceeds that of the APRC candidate, is grounds for optimism, but the divided opposition without a doubt gave the NAM seat on a silver platter to the APRC. Are we all disappointed and flabbergasted? You bet we are. Is there reasons for hope? Yes, there are many reasons to be hopeful, especially knowing that with the result of the elections, the majority of the voters of Kombo East have said a resounding No to the Jammeh dictatorship. 
  The task before us now is not to despair, but to be encouraged and hopeful. Hopeful that more and more communities throughout the country will continue to reject the Jammeh's kleptocracy and despotic regime. But, now more than ever, we need a unified opposition to craft a final solution to this murderous Jammeh regime. Our people are hungry for a return to the way things were. It was not utopia by any stretch, but there was security and there was contentedness even in the face of poverty. At least people smiled then and that meant something. 
   
    
Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 (Archive on Tuesday, May 30, 2006)
Posted by PANDERRYMBAI  Contributed by PANDERRYMBAI
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        Rating:           [input] 1   [input] 2   [input] 3   [input] 4   [input] 5    Comments:      Save  
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          Current Rating:  2.75                        Rating:   3    Forgone conclusion b cus of divided opposition            Rating:   3    Darboe has always been greedy for power, and he will never get it. He has failed Gambians in 2001 NA election by boycot,thereby giving the NA to dicta            Rating:   3    Allah the Almighty bless Jammeh and the humble Gambians            Rating:   3    Mathew, tell your readership exactly why UDP/NRP did not win the election. It is very important that we speak the truth and not favour waht we like. T            Rating:   3    Darboe derailed the just course for change because of power greed thus resulting for more hardship to Gambians.            Rating:   1    pa always contradicts and he has no credibility to lose he is a fool and a liar            Rating:   1    You put your credibility on the line when you said the UDP/NRP alliance will win. Now you should call on them to go to Nadd rather than rambling .            Rating:
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