Hi Elhajj Mustapha!
You wrote:
"To hell, with what Buharry and others think about our bitterness against
the crooks who wanted to damage us with our families."
I respect you too much to even comtemplate that these words came as a reply
to a mail I had not even commented on. Due to the respect I have for you and
the respect I have for myself and others on this list, I will try to
convince myself that I have not read these lines. We are on this list to
exchange ideas and I simply stated my views without any form of disrespect
to you in particular or anyone in general. I simply stated the reality that
the Decree 89 politicians are empowered by the Constitution to stand for
election and no matter how opposed we are to their standing as candidates,
we cannot do anything about it. The general cry has been for the lifting of
the ban and trying to argue that the PPP politicians should not partake in
the elections tantamounts to justifying the very decree that we have been
crying foul over. It is, I believe, in the interests of the opposition to
work out something with them so that they do not act as spoilers and split
the opposition vote. This was one of the basic premises of my piece. I never
referred to you. You might not agree with what I wrote but you have the
right to disagree. I know for sure that I would never disrespect your views
to say to hell with them. In that vein, I wish you a good evening and
consider this issue closed as far as I am concerned.
Buharry.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Elhajj Mustapha Fye" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 11:49 PM
Subject: Re: FWD:Jawara's Lost Opportunity
"
> Mr Touray,
> I said that i was not going to comment anymore on this issue, but i must
reply to you.
> Don`t we have the right to be angry? To hell, with what Buharry and others
think about our bitterness against
> the crooks who wanted to damage us with our families.
> Some people in this forum are no better than Yahya Jammeh, because we have
dictators also in this forum, who
> could not permit people to speak their minds. I hold on to the damn words
i have said in this forum. Don`t
> think that you can silence me, not to say my experience. You can
interprete it whatever way you want. I can
> put a stake that, Buharry and the very people you are saying will very
soon come up, with different ideas
> about this united opposition. Let us pray to see PDOIS join hands with the
PPP. Is it not because of their
> experience? I think Buharry has a task to convince people at his door
steps.
> Elhajj.
>
> abdou toure skrev:
>
> > Dampha,
> >
> > If I were you, I would not even try to decipher why some contributors
waste
> > so much time belabouring this issue- for the wrong reasons. It is plain
that
> > some of these people are prisoners of their own whims and caprices. The
> > emotive outbust about Jawara and the PPP are so out of place that you
wonder
> > whether these people have any understading of what happened to the
Gambia
> > since 1994. As Yus put it, Yaya's record makes Jawara's a source of
pride
> > instead of a target for the persistent banal and fatuous condemnation of
the
> > PPP era.This is truly unfortunate. I bet many of these people are angry
> > perhaps because of some bitter personal experience they had with the
Jawara
> > regime. But we should be able to overcome these experiences for the good
of
> > the country. Mr Bouharry's case is exemplary in this regard. He like
many
> > others including myself were once denied scholarships in favour of less
> > deserving candidates, yet we should be able to forget that and look at
what
> > is at stake today. Also, as Bouharry indicated the reality on the ground
> > dictates exactly what the opposition is now working towards- a united
front
> > against a common enemy, a struggle that should be fought with Jawara,
PPP,
> > NCP, UDP PDOIS, NRP and anybody who believes in restoring sanity in our
> > society. This is not the time for Jawara bashing- except of course one
> > subscibes to the evil that Jammeh has brought to haunt us.
> >
> > AT
> >
> > >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > >Subject: Re: FWD:Jawara's Lost Opportunity
> > >Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 10:00:17 -0400
> > >
> > >Gassama, I indulged you and reread the Independent piece but still
could
> > >not
> > >figure out the point you are trying to make. What is your point again?
That
> > >Jawara is a liability to the Opposition? Then encourage him to come
back
> > >and
> > >lose the Opposition some votes. Clearly, Yankuba Touray does NOT think
that
> > >Jawara is a liability to the Opposition. Otherwise, Touray would not be
> > >terrified and start threatening the ex-president.
> > >
> > >When I read the Independent piece earlier on and again when I reread it
> > >this
> > >morning, what I saw was a good case made against a Jawara presidency.
But
> > >what has been mind-boggling to me all these days reading and hearing
> > >various
> > >arguments made against a Jawara presidency, is that I just cannot
believe
> > >how certain people will engage in this exercise in futility. With all
due
> > >respect to the Independent (a Paper I hold in very high regard because
of
> > >the invaluable services they are rendering to the Gambian public), I
think
> > >they got carried away by the shenanigans of the APRC propaganda. Now,
it is
> > >in APRC's interest that we make Jawara the topic of conversation and
forget
> > >for a moment about Yaya's horrendous record. It is in the APRC's
interest
> > >that certain people in the current Opposition be lured into saying
certain
> > >things to demean the Jawara record. It is in the APRC's interest that
when
> > >certain things are said to the PPP stalwarts, those PPP supporters will
NOT
> > >support the Opposition. So, how does the APRC get the Opposition to
have a
> > >field day on Jawara and jeopardize the chances of having PPP firmly in
the
> > >Opposition? APRC propagandists lie about Jawara saying that the man
wants
> > >to
> > >return and lead the Opposition. The calculation is that once this is
done,
> > >the current Opposition will make anti-Jawara utterances that will
> > >discourage
> > >the man and his supporters from supporting the current Opposition.
Simple
> > >as
> > >that.
> > >
> > >I reiterate that these are nothing but vicious and blatant lies. I told
you
> > >Gassama that you lied about both OJ and Jawara. You NEVER came back to
say
> > >that you were telling the truth when you said that these people wanted
to
> > >lead the Opposition. OJ NEVER said that. Jawara also NEVER said that.
> > >Matter
> > >of fact, these politicians expressed sentiments that are totally
opposed to
> > >what you Gassama have said. Every Gambian that knows anything about
today's
> > >Gambian politics and that is honest to himself, knows that there is
> > >ABSOLUTELY no way that Jawara can contest this election as a
presidential
> > >candidate. For crying out loud, now what is the point in writing an
article
> > >about why Jawara should NOT be a president? This is like arguing during
the
> > >American presidential elections that Ronald Reagan should NOT be the
> > >presidential candidate as opposed to George Bush Jr. It is absurd. This
is
> > >a
> > >non-issue. The man has NEVER said he wanted to be a presidential
candidate.
> > >The law STILL prohibits him from running. He is politically dead as far
as
> > >President 2001 is concerned. What paper will waste space arguing that
> > >Pierre
> > >Sarr Njie should NOT run in October 2001? Making a case against a
Jawara
> > >presidency in October 2001 is an exercise in gross futility.
> > >
> > >Now, let us use our heads to analyze exactly what the PPP people are
> > >saying.
> > >I am relying here on what I heard and read on BBC and also the various
> > >reports in Gambian newspapers about the press conference at OJ's. PPP
wants
> > >to come back to the political scene. They choose as their leader
someone
> > >that CANNOT run in October as a presidential candidate. Right there
that is
> > >a signal to the current Opposition that PPP is NOT looking to field a
> > >presidential candidate. Their leader (Jawara, who in my opinion is just
a
> > >figure-head as far as October is concerned), instructed those on the
ground
> > >to negotiate with the Opposition to mount a united front against Yaya.
Yet
> > >another signal that these people want to play ball with the current
> > >Opposition. The de facto leader of the Party (OJ) held an open press
> > >conference in the country. NO Paper reported that OJ SAID that he
wanted to
> > >run as a presidential candidate or that the PPP wanted to field a
> > >presidential candidate in October. NO PAPER whatsoever. Apart from the
lies
> > >from the likes of Gassama, no one can tell you that PPP wants to lead
an
> > >Opposition Alliance. So, why fall into the APRC trap and start engaging
in
> > >PPP bashing?
> > >
> > >I reiterate that this theorizing (arguing against a presidency that
will
> > >NEVER happen) only helps the APRC. What it does is alienate potential
> > >Opposition supporters. Even if the only support Jawara had was 100
> > >supporters from Barrajali, let us try and get those people to vote for
the
> > >Opposition instead of the APRC. The Opposition will NOT get those votes
by
> > >making a case against Jawara that need NOT be made. The man is NOT
running
> > >for anything. Why argue that he should NOT be president? Why argue that
> > >Gambia should NOT win the World Cup? We are NOT going. But this
argument
> > >against Jawara is NOT just irrelevant, it is going to lose the
Opposition
> > >some votes. What is more disturbing is that we have Opposition members
> > >doing
> > >APRC's dirty job for them. This was the ideal time for the current
> > >Opposition to kick back and let APRC and PPP argue about their
respective
> > >records. But no. Some Opposition members will rather jump in on the
side of
> > >APRC and bash PPP just to appear to be righteous and fair. Well, let us
all
> > >be ready to be accountable for our actions. I would have thought that
> > >politically conscious Gambians living in the U.S. would have at least
> > >learnt
> > >from the Ralph Nader debacle from the last U.S. presidential elections.
> > >Nader's misguided self-righteousness ended up putting in the White
House
> > >some one far more hostile to Nader's cause than he could have imagined.
Now
> > >the question is, are we going to be pragmatic and canvass for as many
votes
> > >as we can get or are we going to be blinded by hatred for one man
(Jawara)
> > >to the extent that we are prepared to unleash a child murderer on our
> > >people?
> > >
> > >Using a false premise (Jawara presidency in October 2001) to attack the
> > >man,
> > >is NOT only intellectually dishonest, it is politically suicidal. I
> > >sincerely hope that the leaders on the ground have their priorities
right.
> > >I
> > >hope that they will NOT waste time making a case against a Jawara
> > >presidency. That is NOT on the cards. I hope our leaders will NOT be
lured
> > >into this absurdity of trying to bash PPP in order to preempt a Jawara
> > >presidency. I am encouraged by the maturity leaders like OJ, Hamat Bah
and
> > >Waa Juwara (the only leaders I have read their comments) are
approaching
> > >this issue. We in the Opposition should avoid unwittingly justifying
the
> > >July 1994 'coup'. The people that staged the 'coup' CANNOT even justify
> > >their case. Why should we (that wants the PPP supporters) now make the
APRC
> > >case for APRC? I am yet to hear one coherent argument making a case
against
> > >the Opposition canvassing PPP supporters. All I hear is arguments
against a
> > >non-issue (a Jawara presidency).
> > >KB
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]>
> > >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> > >><[log in to unmask]>
> > >>To: [log in to unmask]
> > >>Subject: Re: FWD:Jawara's Lost Opportunity
> > >>Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 10:37:13 +0000
> > >>
> > >>Dampha, Hamjatta and co.
> > >>
> > >>Please take note of these developments. Do not say I did not warn you.
> > >>
> > >>Have a good day, Gassa.
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >_________________________________________________________________
> > >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at
http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
> > >
> >
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