I do not think that either OJ or Darboe should serve as flag  bearer nor 
should any of the NADD executive and the reason is simple. The  power struggle 
that we are witnessing right now and which may do a lot of damage  to this 
coalition effort, and which signals that there may be an ongoing power  struggle 
between the contenders even after NADD wins the 2000 elections, which  in turn 
could lead to the disintegration of a future interim government as  opposed to 
one that will not be distracted and hard at work to  accomplish the monumental 
task of restoring our country to normalcy and it  will indeed be one 
monumental task. 
 
If OJ is flag bearer, the old PPP vanguard will see this as a back  door to 
power for them and do we really want that?  What about  the other opposition 
leaders, can we trust them and their supporters not to  try to use the fact that 
their leader is the interim president to gain  unfair advantage? A candidate 
who is un-connected to all the parties, and one  that is comprised of 
respectable, capable, sincere and dedicated Gambians  from various walks of life who 
want only the best for everyone can accomplish  this task, restore our 
constitution and set our country on the right  course.
 
I know that a while back, another list member wrote to say that he though  
Halifa would be the best choice and I seconded that motion but only because  of 
the fact that the situation has developed into one where the contenders for  
flag bearer are the NADD executive as opposed to someone unaffiliated with the  
coalition parties. Given that situation, I would choose Halifa simply because 
he  has demonstrated ability, credibility and integrity over the years to 
leave no  doubt in my mind that he would do what was required of him and will 
relinquish  power when the time arrived without any sort of game playing in the 
process. 
 
However, when I made that statement, I also knew that as flag bearer, he  
would have to step aside from the political scene after that and such a loss for  
our country would be a huge one, and yet, in my view, given the choices, he  
would still be the best man for the job. Mixed feelings about that one.
 
At any rate, despite the fact that the NADD executive has made it clear  that 
the flag bearer should come from among their ranks, I still think that a  
caretaker interim government comprised of non-opposition party affiliated  
individuals would the best way and is the solution to the problem.
 
After Halifa was chosen as the coordinator for NADD, I took it upon my self  
to write him a very long email, giving him my humble opinion that my  
suggestion was that before a MOU was signed, they should make sure that every  detail 
of the coalition, right down to who the flag  bearer would be, including who 
members of the cabinet would  be was agreed upon and written into the document 
before it would be  signed. I never received a reply to that email and I have 
no idea if he  even ever saw it or if it would indeed have made a difference 
if he did.  The rest, as they say is history. 
 
I also disagree with the notion that whatever is going on in the process of  
the selection of the flag bearer should be kept secret. In-fact, I shudder to  
think that there are people actually advocating for that. I think that an  
occasional press conference from the NADD executive would have gone a long way  
in giving a desperate publicconfidence in the process and in the NADD  
leadership and effort and would also confirm their sincerity and unity to the  
public, but that is just my humble opinion.
 
Someone the other day put forth a list of potentials that NADD could draw  
from to choose a non-party affiliated flag bearer and I would go further to add  
that the entire interim government should be comprised of non party 
affiliated  people who are competent and who will come in and do a complete over haul  
without manipulation or bias. People with international experience and a good  
World view, as well as local leaders, right down to the village   level, and 
even a representation from among the various religious leaders.  We have 
respectable and capable people from all of these various groups to  choose from 
with the goal being to repair the extensive damage that this regime  has wrought 
on every aspect of our lives in The Gambia. The process can be  a valuable and 
priceless learning experience for our people.  Someone  mentioned a few names 
like Dr Ibrahim Samba and Lenrie Peters,  but there  are many others like  
Adeliade Sosseh Carayol  ( Par for the ladies)  as well as many more on the 
ground and in the diaspora, men and women alike who  are ready and able to help 
heal a wounded country and her people. 
 
Our country is at a cross roads and a blood bath such as ensued in  Idi  
Amin's Uganda could happen there if Jammeh comes back for another  5 years which 
will definitely turn into 10 years and counting, and if you do not  believe it, 
just think back to a few years ago and ask yourself if we ever  dreamt that 
what the Jammeh regime has done in our country could ever  happen there and all 
of us would have said never. 
 
Many times in the past I have written in the pages of this very list  that 
every atrocity that occurred under the Jammeh regime was a step  in the 
de-sensitization process, testing the people to see just how much they  could take and 
have'nt the stakes gotten higher each time, culminating in the  shooting of 
people in cold blood in the streets of our country? What next in  store for our 
people if the sons and daughters of our nation do not put their  combined 
efforts into formulating a true solution to this crisis as  opposed to fighting 
for position?  The APRC regime is power  hungry and brutal and with the 
prospect of oil reserves in the country,  they will be ready to kill to stay where 
they are. They are already   digging in their heels and making plans to make 
that venture their own personal  cash cow.
 
 It is time we take our country back and we need an immediate and  effective 
solution and we cannot afford to sit and let politicians fight  over power 
until we perish. If the politicians love our country and  our people, let them 
step aside and let us put in place a team to get us out of  this mess and create 
an atmosphere where no government will monopolize the press  and marginalize 
opponents. Where the constitution means something and  politicians are voted 
in on the merits of their competence and not blind  support. Only an 
independent body can accomplish that without favoritism and  prejudice, or are the 
politicians afraid to stand and be judged by  their own merits only after a level 
playing field is created? 
 
In the meantime,while that clean-up and restoration process is taking  place, 
whoever wants to be President can go and learn how to really  represent the 
people and how to ask for our votes and apply for the job to lead  our 
government. Let them go and learn how to really talk to the people and  present their 
ideas and plans so we can gauge if they are competent enough to  warrant our 
confidence. 
Anyone who cannot fathom the need for such an urgent remedy in these  
terrible times for our people does not really love The Gambia and her people  because 
want of leadership should be the last thought at this critical  juncture.
 
Jabou Joh
 
In a message dated 1/25/2006 6:31:54 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

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. 


 

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