Mr. Sallah:
You have again showed your continued analytical
view of events that you think no Gambian can
challenge. Your continued self propaganda is
diminishing your political party to zero. May
the Lord have mercy that one day you may wake up
only to learn that you are far behind in this
struggle.
One wonders whether you are sleeping with the
enemy? PDOIS has continued to self-distract
itself of showcasing an intellect that no Gambian
seems to understand. I hope in the finer moment
of life, you will wake up and smell the roses.
Please take time and revisit within your inner
self of the danger you are putting the opposition
in. Halifa, I ask: what has come of you lately?
This is a very disturbing precedent. Our agenda
is a "United Opposition." Please Halifa, don't
rock the boat.
Naphiyo,
Comrade M Lamine Jassey-Conteh
------Original Message------
From: foroyaa <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: March 12, 2001 4:30:13 PM GMT
Subject: Re: Response to PDOIS's Reaction.
Mr. Bahoum, your official response to the FOROYAA article of 7 March 2001
has been reviewed. It is a long time since I visited the L. My attention was
drawn to the article at Radio One FM. It is unfortunate that our
correspondence would be characterised by such misunderstanding.
Notwithstanding, I read good faith in your attempt to show that our position
was misleading. I hope you will take the time to answer few questions for us
since we are after clarity.
I must say that I need adequate feed back from you in order to have the
basis to analyse your response in good faith. The reason for this is simple,
I left the Gambia for Ghana on the 25 February and came back on the 3 March.
I had the opportunity to have concrete information on the London Briefing
Meeting on my return. The issue became a matter of concern to the Central
Committee after the SoS for Justice gave a press conference. At the Central
Committee Meeting Sidia Jatta did produce a letter which was addressed to
him by a British MP. The letter reads:
''Dear Colleague,
"The Campaign to Restore Democracy in The Gambia"
Briefing Meeting to be held on Wednesday 28th February at 7.30pm Committee
Room 10 at the House of Commons
"I am inviting you to a meeting to discuss the current crisis in democracy
in the Gambia and to meet representatives of the Gambian opposition parties
and the newly formed Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in the
Gambia.
The withdrawal of basic civil liberties freedom within the Gambia large gone
unreported in the in the British media. However the cancellation and rigging
of elections, the imprisonment and harassment of opposition parties and the
use of physical violence against opponents by the current regime are
escalating.
In order to draw attention to the plight of the Gambian people I have
convened this meeting to receive briefing from the opposition
representatives. Also speaking will be Jeremy Corbyn MP and Diane Abbot MP
and various human rights groups working in this field.
I look forward to seeing you in the night
Best wishes,
John McDonnell MP''
After he read the letter, he explained to the Central Committee that he
could not understand the logic of a British MP inviting him to go all the to
the House of Commons just for a briefing. He added that he received the
letter from his pigeon hole at the National Assembly.
He questioned why any one would invite him to give briefing to an MP in
London. In the discussion which followed, we endorsed the position that even
if the matter was brought to the Central Committee prior to the Meeting, no
PDOIS member of the Central Committee would disagreed with his position.
Despite the fact that I did not have background information on the London
Briefing Session inadvance, I must say that I agree whole heartedly that it
constitutes lack of National Self Respect to expect a personality like Sidia
Jatta to accept to leave the Gambia to give briefing to a British MP. Let me
add that Hamat Bah was from Taiwan prior to attending the briefing session.
He was there with Tamsir Jallow - Majority Leader, Kemeseng Jammeh, the
Minority leader and other MP. Sidia did not go because he simply did not
want to be tourist in Taiwan while there is work to be done in the Gambia.
Tickets have been given to MPs to go to Mecca. Sugar is often distributed by
Jammeh at the national Assembly which MPS receive without party
consideration. Sidia is an exception. We have our standards. Those who
consider our posture as arrogant are free to hold on to their opinion. In
fact, Jawara is lucky that he had Hamat Bah instead of a PDOIS
representative present. I am fully ready to take on all those irresponsible
persons who have decided to make misleading remarks to try to question
PDOIS's integrity. Your movement was on the right track when it took the
transparent posture of informing all Gambians what its aims and objectives
are. I am sure all members of the Central Committee endorse the aims and
objectives of your movement. However, we cannot endorse your deeds in
advance. We reserve the right to study your activities and take our posture
on a case by case basis.
What is surprising to us is your attempt to give the impression that we are
hostile to your movement because of our attitude towards the London
Meetings. It is equally outrageous that you linked the London Meeting to a
discussion we had when I attended the Labour Party Congress in Britain. It
constitutes crude logic to give the impression that our posture regarding
the London Meeting reflects our posture towards your movement. The reason
for this assertion is simple. At no time did PDOIS receive any
correspondence from the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy indicating
that it has organised a briefing session to which a PDOIS representative is
invited. The only letter that was received by Sidia Jatta is from a British
MP, full stop. Are you now telling us that your movement was behind the
invitation. The letter stated categorically that your movement it self was
an invitee of the British MP.
Before going to response to the immature remarks by Hamjatta who never grows
up and who never hesitates to thumb the dictionary to lift mountains and
hills of pedantic remarks to throw at people, I would want you to answer
these two simple questions: Who was the organiser of the London Meeting? If
the London was not a briefing session organised by a British MP, then what
was the purpose of the London Meeting?
Greetings
Halifa
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