Mr. Sidibeh:
Remember the events of 2001! Are we repeating the same mistakes? I hope not.
I hope and pray that the devil among us be exterminated. Many Gambians have
suffered under the APRC government.
I hope the NADD leadership can objectively address our urgent need. It will be
detrimental if we end up with two opposition candidates against the APRC. If that
happens, we will certainly fail in our desire for a yahyaless Gambia.
When will we ever learn to work with each other for the interest of The Gambia?
Naphiyo,
Comrade Jassey-Conteh
-----Original Message-----
>From: Momodou Sidibeh <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Jan 25, 2006 7:07 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: NADD or the Birth Throes of a Political Alliance
>
>Comrade Kabir and All,
>
>Though hard pressed at work, I felt I need to chip in some observations
>counter to your informed ones. I have no love for this search for a
>"leader". Though quite necessary, infact, I think it is almost
>petty-bourgeios, a population's frantic groping after the most qualified
>individual capable of delivering us from damnation. Herein lies buried the
>root of the question "are there any guarantess...". It is a futile business,
>
>this looking for a god, a god that will eventually fail.
>
>From inside NADD, Sidia Jatta, Sam Sarr, Halifa Sallah, are all quantities I
>
>would bet my life for. (Kindly post here Sidia's classic resignation letter
>from government sevice when you find it). But considering our wider national
>
>political and voting history, whose choices for preseident will any
>of these gentlemen be?
>
>If the coalition is to remain a coalition and decides to choose a leader
>from within, capable of kicking out the junta, then Ousainou Darboe is the
>most obvious choice! He simply commands the largest following in the
>country; he polled the largest share of the opposition's vote in the last
>two elections - infact greater than the combined votes of the other
>presidential candidates. Infact for whatever Gambian reason should he step
>aside to allow someone else inside NADD to lead? Just why, never mind Pa
>Nderry Mbaye's pagan reasons about public pressure on him to do so? Which
>public?
>
>[True, Pa Nderry has every democratic right to report what he wants. But
>NADD is an ongoing process, and thus can suffer derailment if its
>deliberations are wired around the world even before reaching conclusions,
>for obvious reasons. But that is a NADD problem. They must simply shut down
>Pa Nderry Mbaye's "unimpeachable source" from leaking on matters that are
>still being debated inside the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE! Because he is nowhere,
>Mr. Mbaye is practically everywhere].
>
>ALL over the place, the SOPI coalition in Senegal that ousted Joof in 2000,
>the NARC coalition in Kenya that kicked out KANU, the six-party coalition
>that failed to wrest inherited power from Faure Gnassimbe in Togo, it is
>always the leader of the largest party that leads! But NADD crafted a
>formula that allows equal representation (from its constituent parties) in
>its structures, to sort of equate that with the democratic content of
>subsequent decisions and choices it makes. How wise that is should be a
>matter for debate. In Senegal, more than twenty leftist parties (or rallies,
>
>or movements) joined Wade's liberal PDS to effect the Joof ouster! Looking
>at it this way, it needs to be said that it is the other qualified
>candidates who need to rally around Darboe, inspite of all past diferences.
>
>But the problem then becomes what the enemies of the coalition will do about
>
>Darboe as flag-bearer. Buharry and others have so eloquently showed us the
>potential juridical risks. But are those risks compelling enough to outweigh
>
>the other weighty risk of a weakened, unorganised and unprepared NADD
>without a Darboe flagbearership? I do not know. However, it is interesting
>to note that Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change in Uganda
>is now dividing his time between appearing in court and campaigning.
>[Ugandans, unfortunately could not form a coalition against Museveni,
>another god that failed, now bent on re-authoriting the constitution to
>perpetuate his rule.
>
>Sister Jabou Joh's question about debunking the NADD agenda for the exercise
>
>of personal power is important. How do we guarantee ourselves against such a
>
>menacing possibility? A swift pick of flag-bearer must be immediately
>followed by mobilising all supporting parties to create an organisational
>body with structures that must promote and sensitise the entire population
>on the NADD objectives anad strategic goals. A programme of education in
>theory and practice that must continue even after the elections. The
>leadership qualities we have come to know from all NADD executive committee
>members, progressive journalists, youth and gender organisations, all
>democratic forces including ourselves must get invovled in this
>democratisation process of the transition period before NADD self-destructs.
>
>In other words NADD must simply get ORGANISED democratically around its
>agenda. We the people, when strongly organised can ensure that whoever is
>elected answers to our call. That is why the question of a flag-bearer, as
>important as it is, should not overshadow the even more important issue of a
>
>robust organisation with concrete goals. That I think is the only possible
>guarantee.
>
>To end this, allow me to reiterate Bambalaye's call for patience. These are
>historic times in our country. We have never been here before. That is why
>all progressive and democratic forces need to unify around NADD. It does not
>
>mean that we should not debate rigorously. It means that we must exercise
>humility and tolerance for the views of others, with the hope of playing at
>least an advisory role to those on the ground in Gambia. Naturally
>disagreeing on important matters is part of the process. But it is possible
>to do that in a climate of civility. I think this is a reasonable way
>forward for those of us behind NADD.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Sidibeh
>
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