Mike and Saiks,
I do understand both of you in trying to really fine a solution to the
harship at home. If i look at the conditions at home after my trip last
week, i will agree with Mike that we need an enabling environment for us to
be able to address the issues Saikss raised. That means getting Jammeh out
of power.
The condition at home is getting worst, people are tired, the prices are
unaffodable, there is scarcity of goods and the government is not doing
anything to address these issues. All what the President does is to force
the business people to bring the price down without looking at the economic
condition of the country. The bad economic condition of the country is the
one that lead to this situation and both the busness people and the public
are suffering.
I was even asking myself if the government has the mandate under a situation
where there are no price control system to force the business people to
reduce their prices. The reaction was abvious the business people kept there
goods and deceided not to sell. It went to a point were there was scaricity
of onion. I remember rushing to a Super market to buy onion and a full army
came there at rampage for what reason no one could explain it to me. All i
could understand was that they were asking for their BOSS.
Traveling from Banjul to the Senegalaise boarder you are stopped on way by
police officers who are checking for CFA Franc money. What i was told was
that they are looking for CFA Franc money and i was like wait a minute are
you saying that we cannot carry CFA Franc going to Senegal. Of course as
illiterated as they are they could not answer the question if it is about
the amount one is carrying or you are not suppose to carry it at all
The situation of the hospital is still the same, nothing has changed with
the coming of the Cubans. The only thing that has changed is the painting
and the new decorations. The attitudes of the nurses has gone worse due to
their frustration with the medical system. Cloroquine and paracemol is still
the most favourate drug in the hospital. I took my Baby to the policlinic
whiles i was there, it was a night mare. I could not believe that i move
from Accra to Banjul and that there is a huge difference. I don't need to go
to Oslo or London to make comparism.
This is a government who cares less about what happen to the pupolation,
all they care about is themselves and their riches. For all these reason
above i would agree with Mike
Then again i said to myself what will happen if Jammeh and his government
is out of the scene. What are the structures in place to address all these
issues. Is the opposition ready for this kind of change? What programs or do
we understand there programmes? Will we bring another Jammeh or we are going
to say NEVER AGAIN. Saikks is right that removing Jammeh might not solve the
problems but i still believe that Jammeh needs to go to allow the democratic
process to florish and develop.
The Gambia is still under a military dictatorship.
Finally i believe that these issues raised can go hand in hand, whilst we
try to get rid of the AFPRC government, the opposition need to put
structures in place as well. We all need to contirbute this process of
change, we need to lend our hands to the people at work. The situation is
bad bad bad bad bad.
I am writing this in between meetings, i still have more to say and i do
appologise for any mistakes.
The Struggle Continues!!!!!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh
>From: samateh saikou <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: SV: Fw: Thousands March in Protest At Growing Political
> Violence
>Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 14:02:37 +0000
>
>Mike,
>
>Great to see your comments and I could not just let this go without letting
>you know that you are raising points that are very important at this stage
>of the political development.Keep up the good work down there.But after
>saying that I would definitely continue to insist that this form of
>political romance has not produced any desired results so far and that we
>should be thinking of its importance and even where as we choose to take
>it,how we must not repeat what is happening in Kenya,in Ghana or Senegal.
>Good that you took up the Kenyan case.You might be surprise to know that
>one
>of those marking big political noise in Kenya today is Moi.I happen to know
>Koiki whiles he was in exile in Norway,a very nice brother,who never
>continue his University studies in the USA, he called it off and returned
>home to take up the struggle .He was from a Poor family,upon his
>returned,the many tortures,detentions etc for decades did not stop him and
>today he is a member of parliament.You don't just have little respect for
>such type of people,you respect them more than anything else.What happen
>after the victory ?The frustrations that people in that country are facing
>right now is overshadowing the cosmetic changes that have so far taken
>place, and in the next stage,if things remain as they are,you will see Moi
>emerging again as a national hero.The first thing that this new Parliament
>did was to increase their salaries in such a way and manner that the
>majority of Kenyans began to question what happened to the slogan "Without
>Moi,everything is possible".I don't believe that Jammeh will be there as
>long as Jawara,the political situation in the country is not saying
>that,but
>what will follow,do we have to wait until then to talk about it ?What I am
>insisting on is that there are many examples of such, are we learning from
>them ? I disagree with you on the issue of democracy and social changes.For
>me these are two inseparable life issues that must go hand in hand and not
>one waiting for the another or that one become the product of the
>other.Pinochet is gone and where is Chile today ?We must not think that
>such
>are automatic development,they are all products of struggle for a better
>society.In my opinion I don't think that it is correct to habour the
>believe
>in us that,all that is important is get rid of the semi fascist APRC regime
>and all that will follow will be the good.Do we know how the PDOIS or UDP
>or
>take NDAM for that matter,believed in what manner an "Independent Electoral
>Committee" should function ?Do we know what the PDOIS ,UDP or Ndam are
>thinking of how political power should be transferred from day one to the
>ordinary Gambian people ?It seems these are some of the questions you mean
>to say that we wait with until Jammeh is gone.That is not our
>experience,ours is that,we Had Jawara for more than 30 years of political
>brutality and economic mismanagement and then Jammeh.There is no better
>time
>for us to guarantee our selves that,never again "a political fascist"than
>now.I don't believed it is a question of the future but now.
>
>For Freedom
>Saiks
>
>
>>From: malik kah <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: SV: Fw: Thousands March in Protest At Growing Political
>> Violence
>>Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 12:24:28 +0000
>>
>>Sheiks, I share your sentiments but what you fail to realise is that such
>>coalitions are not designed or meant to address the fundamental issues you
>>raised, issues such as the living conditions of the people such issues are
>>and must be embeded on principles guided by ideology and the parties that
>>normally forge such coalitions do not normally share a common ideological
>>approac for their existence is usually conditioned by the fact that a
>>change
>>to re-start is both essential and inevitable, if there exist a facist
>>regime
>>it is incumbent on all and sundry to devsie a strategy to oust them and
>>after they are gone, it is assumed that a mouch more healthier climate
>>than
>>hitherto existed would ensue and this is precisely why a bonding of this
>>nature is increasingly popular. Such coalitions are essentially not
>>designed
>>to address needs but to redress democratic deficiencies that have become
>>the
>>norm of governance under tyrants or despots. Obviously the need to address
>>some issues are prerequisites to forging such alliances but their greater
>>good are self evident. For instance take Kenya, eventhough everything is
>>not
>>rosy, but the fact MOI had been ousted is a good thing, obviously a lot of
>>issues needs to be further explored to give back power to the people, for
>>me
>>I see it as a single step towards the right direction, I have taken on
>>board
>>some of your reservations but broadly I think with a rustic electorate in
>>Africa and the continued exploitation of the gullibility of the people,
>>the
>>strategy of coming together from opposing poles to create a more tolereant
>>political lanscape is welcoming.
>>
>>
>>>From: samateh saikou <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>>><[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: Re: SV: Fw: Thousands March in Protest At Growing Political
>>> Violence
>>>Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 15:03:51 +0000
>>>
>>>Mr Drammeh,
>>>
>>>I have been enjoying your exchange and the many interesting issues you
>>>have
>>>been putting us through.However there are certain points that I believed
>>>are
>>>not inline with my own view of what is going on.
>>>The Political situation in Senegal is very interesting and we as Gambians
>>>should pay great attentions to the developments there.First,let me tell
>>>you
>>>what I feel about Negritude.The reason why I believed that Africans are
>>>not
>>>interested in this political thought, is because of the fact that it has
>>>been the most reactionary political thought that has ever emerged in the
>>>continent since independent.Negritude was posing itself as an alternative
>>>to
>>>Pan-Africanism,reducing its meaning to the well known slogan of the
>>>founder
>>>"Reason Greek,emotion African".Critics like Anta Jobe have accused
>>>Senghore
>>>of not knowing his history and for that reason came to such a
>>>conclusion.Negritude does not only say that all that is black is
>>>"beautiful"
>>>but also glorifying terrible African history,conditions and culture.This
>>>you
>>>can simply find out in the writings of both Senghore and likes of Lye
>>>Camara
>>>of Guinea.The most interesting contradictions is that,must of these
>>>people
>>>live a life very different from that of the African.Take Senghore's
>>>"Night
>>>in Sine" and compare this with the life of Senghore and the condition of
>>>the
>>>African Woman in the village.Falsifying the African culture,history or
>>>beign
>>>is the least we need as a struggling continent.
>>> Secondly the Political situation in Senegal is perhaps more
>>>complicated.For more than 10 years,Senegalese oppositions Parties have
>>>been
>>>working together to bring about political change in that country and
>>>among
>>>the most active in this work were the most progressive political parties
>>>in
>>>that country,who were also banned political parties during the Period of
>>>Senghore and the bann lifted by the Joof.After bringing down the PS
>>>regime,these people are now face with another situation and the condition
>>>of
>>>the ordinary Senegalese still the same.
>>>The lesson for us Gambians is that,is it just enough that we are against
>>>the
>>>semi fascist APRC regime or do we want a better Gambia after Jammeh.This
>>>is
>>>what is the problem with people like me and my lack of interest in a
>>>unified
>>>Opposition against Jammeh.Not only in Senegal,but in Accra too this is
>>>the
>>>problem,even though bringing down the regime of Junior Judas brought hope
>>>to
>>>the ordinary people,very little has changed in the life of ordinary
>>>Ghanaians.Are the opposition parties capable of bringing about change for
>>>a
>>>better Gambia.Do we ever here them telling us how is this going to take
>>>place.Much of what we hear from them is what they are against and most
>>>of
>>>us agree with them on those issue.Learning from Senegal or Ghana,will
>>>mean
>>>that the oppositions parties tell us what they are for and how they are
>>>going to go about it and then we can put in place things that will make
>>>it
>>>impossible to have another fascist regime,light or strong.
>>>
>>>
>>>For Freedom
>>>Saiks
>>>
>>>
>>>>From: Oko Drammeh <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>>>><[log in to unmask]>
>>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>Subject: Re: SV: Fw: Thousands March in Protest At Growing Political
>>>> Violence
>>>>Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 14:55:44 +0100
>>>>
>>>>Culture and Life.
>>>>
>>>>We want Africa to asset her self, to preserve her personality to up hold
>>>>and excercise her Lirbety
>>>>of actions .We want Africa to recover her dignity which should be
>>>>expressed
>>>>and acknowledge.
>>>>Senegal is a hurdle too high to jump.
>>>>
>>>>QUOATATION
>>>>" I notice that all of thoes comminting on Senegalese politics are the
>>>>ones
>>>>who never made a
>>>>single comment on the APRC regime "
>>>>Jabou Joh wrote.
>>>>
>>>>This is what this time of political emergence of the African people to
>>>>liberty and dignity
>>>>commands us to do.
>>>>
>>>>Renovations should sweep the past But sadly Senegal; is still
>>>>strengthen
>>>>by colonialism.
>>>>
>>>>There is oppression in the Gambia as a nation but in Senegal there is
>>>>still
>>>>Neo colonialism and
>>>>ANTI-African Unity a virus that affects the Contienent of Africa as a
>>>>whole
>>>>and the diaspora..
>>>>
>>>>Much respect and Love.
>>>>
>>>>For The records.
>>>>Oko Drammeh
>>>>
>>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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>>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
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