Mr. Kah was livid at Uncle Mathew's assessment of PDOIS' Philosophical and Existential conflicts. He chides Mathew, characterizing the latter as a gratuitous critic. Mr. Kah extols the virtues of PDOIS' non-negotiable principles and core values in this manner:

[Unlike Mathew Jallow they did not leave the shores of the country and set up proxy organisations to challenge the 
status quo, they are there facing all the trials and tribulations of living under a dictatorship, with virtually no support from 
voyeurs like Mathew. Unlike Mathew they have set up a political party with a vision, their programme is known to the 
people, hence it is left with the people to give them mandate to govern the affairs of the nation, such an act cannot be 
imposed it can only be sought.] Malik.

I agree with Mr. Kah that PDOIS' leadership officials did not leave Gambia to set up a proxy organization to challenge the 3 decades-old status-quo in that country. PDOIS leaders stayed in Gambia and set up PDOIS to challenge the various status quo in the country for 30 years. However, it is also true that 70% of PDOIS members and rank and file augment PDOIS' challenge of the various status-quo from comfortable exile abroad. PDOIS itself admitted that a cardinal strategy of the party was to deliberately exile some of their officers and members in order to spare them the trials of those same status-quos. I encourage Mr. Malik to consider that Uncle Mathew is also an exile of CCG and of conscience so he can be free to challenge the status quos of Gambia. Unlike PDOIS, the CCG is a conscientious civil society association of a miniscule number of Gambians and its vision is to help save Gambia and Gambians from continued wanton murder, abduction, illegal arrests, assassinations, illegal imprisonment, theft, and rape. PDOIS on the other hand is a bona fide political party with at best a 2.3% affinity from Gambians and its vision is to obtain the mandate of the most Gambians to govern Gambia. I declare, given a choice between PDOIS and CCG, I will easily choose CCG. Before I seek a governor, I'd rather save a life of my fellow Gambian. Because that life may be mine to be saved some day. 
 
[PDOIS is a decent political organisation, founded on very firm principles and policies designed and agreed upon by all 
party members and implemented by the Central Committee elected at every congress.
 Contrary to popular belief, it is not a party run at the caprices and whims of a few. In fact it is a party that is very 
consultative,open minded and genuinely democratic, members are constantly consulted and decisions are taken on the 
basis of the strength of reasoning, rather than imposition. 
The agreement for the formation of the coalition had been a decision based on principles and not on cheap popularity, 
but evidently there are people who are oppose to this modus opreandii, and that is expected and can be accommodated 
in any democratic dispensation. But to continue with a mundane argument simply because  of want of  expediency  over 
principles that PDOIS by hook or crook should succumb to the dictates of others is both unreasonable and 
disingenuous, such a myopic way of reasoning cannot  be accepted and endorsed by PDOIS members. Yes  we want a 
united front, but it has to have genuine and democratic basis otherwise it would be invalid and non workable.
We cannot enter a united front at all cost, a united front has to be based on firm principles and agreements well defined 
to the inclusion of all, but to insist that PDOIS should just take what other parties propose without taking into account the 
ramifications will not be endorsed.] Malik.

In fairness to Mathew, the CCG is a decent civil society organization, founded on existential principles facing all Gambians, to include PDOIS, its officers, and members - both resident and exiled, and as we speak, Mathew is confronted with the chagrin of one of CCG's members illegally imprisoned for allegedly distributing flyers and t-shirts. WHen the Journalist-6 were imprisoned, and when Hon. Halifa of PDOIS was illegally imprisoned, Mathew did not stay mute or unbothered. He was at the forefront of demanding the unconditional release of these his fellow citizens because of his conviction that they were egregiously aversed. That was before the constitution of CCG. I have always believed that PDOIS was not whimsical in its deliberations or internal operations. If anything, PDOIS could be accused of fatalistic sufism. The party has always extolled the virtue of common decision-making and commoner participation, if only to elevate its electoral affinity. I have always assumed that decisions were made at PDOIS based on the superior quality of arguments and the ideas presented for debate. There has never been room in PDOIS for imposition of ideas, as I'm sure is expected of any bona fide political party.
The idea for an opposition coalition or alliance came from concerned diaspora Gambians, of whom Mathew is a valuable member. Evidently, any attempts at Opposition coalition formation prior to 2004 proved beyond the capacity of PDOIS principles. It would be evident that the latter attempts spurred by concerned diasporan Gambians is also beyond the capacity of PDOIS' principles. No one that I know is opposed to PDOIS bearing on its superior acumen and principles to forge an Opposition Coalition. In fact it is not wise to abandon principle in-order to forge a political party coalition or alliance to remove a criminal government. The greatest such alliances are formed by only highly-principled political parties the world-over. I encourage Mr. Malik to revisit Mathew's contentions again because they were not made for expediency's sakes. Expediency is as to time and the urgency accrues from the emergent conditions that the criminal Yahya government has placed on all Gambians, to include PDOIS, PDOIS' leaders, and PDOIS members. If the government of Yahya were not criminal and threatening to Gambians and PDOIS, Mathew would have no care in the world about political party semantics and gamesmanship. That much I think Mr. Malik can agree with me on. No one expects or is asking PDOIS to succumb to anything. All and sundry had hoped that given the superior quality of PDOIS' collective acumen, it will realize on its own that it faces both an existential threat as a party, and the decimation of the population that PDOIS hopes to govern. And that given PDOIS' prowess at design and engineering, it could rely on its sacrosanct principles to craft a solution for the quandary. I am pleased that Mr. Malik acknowledges that PDOIS does and did want a UNIFIED Front/Coalition. The problem seems to be that PDOIS wants a UNITED Front based on genuine and democratic bases, otherwise it would be invalid and unworkable. I encourage Mr. Malik to assist his friends at PDOIS in coming up with genuine and democratic bases for a UNITED Front just as the UDP, ppp, GMC, NRP, GPDP and APRC must come up with genuine and democratic bases for engaging in any project. The whole idea of a UNITED Front or Back assumes that each of the partners to the prospective UNION would have interrogated the genuine and democratic bases for entering into such a UNION. Then when they come together, it would be only to fashion that UNION based on their various genuine and democratic calculus. I am not known to dabble in principled decision-making, but if I were a betting man, I would say the wanton assassinations, abductions, illegal arrests, illegal imprisonments, thefts, and rapes in Gambia under Yahya Jammeh would form part of my genuine and democratic bases for wanting to form a UNITED Front with similarly inclined fellow citizens of Gambia. I'm just saying. 

Mr. Malik surely understands that no one is expecting or requesting of PDOIS to enter into a UNITED Front AT ALL COSTS. In fact the manner suggested by most Gambians represents the least cost method for PDOIS to benefit roundly from the prospective victory of a UNITED Front or Back. I encourage Mr. Malik to think about this a bit more. PDOIS should only enter into agreement with other political parties when the agreement suits PDOIS to a T. Unless of course there are other EMERGENT and URGENT considerations to include existential threats to PDOIS itself. In which case some common sense negotiations would become far superior to arsenine and rigid cacamayme principles. Its like the stubborn mosquito who couldn't wait to dive in a pool of insecticide thinking its pond-water. I encourage Mr. Malik to review the potential ramifications of a UNITED Front or Back to PDOIS before entering in any such agreement with its partner parties.

[We as a party will never sacrifice principles at the altar of expediency. Critics like Mathew Jallow has nothing to offer 
since they are full of hatred and bias against PDOIS. His lack of understanding of the party's programme indicts him as a 
dishonest intellectual who just like to appear to make cheap rhetorical point scoring.] Malik.

Mathew was not seeking or asking for EXPEDIENCY from PDOIS. I think any Gambian with a brain would know that if its expediency you need to save your friggin life and PDOIS is the only one on the island who can save you, you're as good as dead. Expediency is not terribly significant in as much as the DECISION to Form a UNITED Front or Back is concerned. It is very likely that between 1996 and now, PDOIS has gone through all the permutations of genuine and democratic bases for a UNITED Front or Back. And therefore if their conclusion is that a UNITED Front or Back is far superior to two UNITED Fronts or Backs, then they could form that Front or Back in a matter of seconds. Nothing has changed since 1996 except more Gambians continue to be assassinated, murdered, abducted, illegally arrested, illegally imprisoned, raped and stolen-from. What principle of PDOIS trumps the arrest of such carnage??????????????????????????????????????????????

Haruna. I love you all.


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