Joe,There are enough persons within the current opposition parties that can assume leadership roles with a view to bolstering the chances for unity leading to the formation of a single opposition coalition. They dont necessarily have to come from the diaspora. You will be surprised at the number of Gambians at home and abroad who are part of the national dialogue and yet their voices are not heard. At the same time there are thousands of Gambians out there who always vote for the opposition yet they do not play any leadership roles in any of the parties. There has to be even more effort this time to bring everyone onboard. The notion of a messiah may be far-fetch, but there is someone out there who can unify us, and by being a real vote-catcher, effectively turn the table on Dictator Jammeh.As a matter of courtesy, I would allow the supporters of The ARC to reasses the relevance of that coalition in resolving our present predicament. One thing is certain, and that is our collective aim to rid The Gambia of the Yaya Jammeh presidency has not been realized. Thus as we are currently involved in self criticism and re-evalution, one naturally expects them to be doing a similar thing. I am positive that   if their aim is to satisfy the wishes and aspirations of the poor and suffering masses in The Gambia, we should come to some understanding with them.I urge you not to be frustrated by the superiority complexes and fragmented nationalisms. Those are issues we now know and should be ready to handle them headon.Omar Joof.> Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 17:45:53 +0000> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: CALL for THE RESIGNATION of ALL Opposition leaders> To: [log in to unmask]> > Sidebeh et al, what you call for is noble and sensible.  However, we also > need to be realistic about our situation and politics.  Who do we have in > mind as this "Fresh Blood"?  Why is this envisioned "Fresh Blood" not active > at this time or in the past, in our politics?  That sounds like a yearning > for a Messiah, and that would be an up-coming disappointment, in my opinion.> > Yes, the opposition is fragmented and there does not seem a possibility of > gluing it together any time soon.  If this suggestion could have been > speedily effected by a vote, today, I had vote for it in a New York minute, > but how many Gambians in the opposition would be willing to do that?  Do any > of us believe for a minute, that those Gambians in the diaspora for example, > that support the UDP will agree to the sidelining of the UDP?  If any > believes that I have an Ox to sell on the Moon.  This is one occasion that I > would love to be proven very wrong.  We have a lot of superiority complexes > to deal with and I'm not sure five years is enough to turn the corner.> > Omar, if we dissolve NADD, then the ARC must be dissolved too, for the later > is no longer in NADD, in the spirit of completeness.  In essence, what we > are doing is to give NADD a new name, with different players to head it.  > Remember, the concept of NADD is the brainchild of not the opposition > leaders or their supporters, but Gambians in the diaspora.> > I am of the opinion that what is needed in the Gambian opposition leadership > is to bring together progressive forces and exorcise destructive forces.  > Otherwise, we will spend the next five years playing games with ourselves > with nothing to show for it.  The avoidance of addressing the destructive > forces in the opposition will yield palatable, the suggestion of the > abolishing of progressive forces, in the process.  However, just like a > circle, we will meet up with the same destructive forces that we are by > default accommodating.  Without that exorcism, we'd be wasting our time, > again.  Your ideas are progressive, and I like to associate with progressive > forces.> > Chi Jaama> > Joe> > > >From: omar joof <[log in to unmask]>> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              > ><[log in to unmask]>> >To: [log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: CALL for THE  RESIGNATION of ALL Opposition leaders> >Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 17:02:14 +0000> >> >Sidibe and Folks,After very serious considerations, I add my humble voice > >to  your call for the entire leadership of the opposition in The Gambia to > >resign and make room for  a new leadership that is fresh and will  generate > >the requisite political exuberance, that can dislodge dictator Jammeh and > >his nefariou  A(F)PRC from power.  Unity amongst the general opposition > >leadership is imperative to the development of a single opposition > >coalition. I share your view that our present leaders have not only failed > >to effect that unity, but have also made the likelihood of unity in the > >future even more remote. They should accept their collective responsibility > >in this regard and go.Furthermore, I wish to suggest that NADD's leadership > >should start looking into ways and means of amicably dissolving the > >organization as soon as possible.  This would engender the necessary  > >political environment in the opposition  for  new players to take over the > >task of unifying the opposition before the next elections. The presence of > >the current leadership and NADD would not leave enough room in which  such > >persons can operate effectively.  But it should be quickly added that  the > >current leadership should not go into political retirement. They should be > >on the scene playing other roles.It should be noted that NADD was not > >envisaged to be a permanent structure. Its role was designed to be an > >interim one, that would make possible the development of a democratic > >environment and institutions. Thus its existence in the current environment > >would represent an anomaly. By failing to obtain its stated objectives in > >the last presidential and National Assembly Elections, we have ample > >reasons for dissolving it. There is no doubt that a lot has been learnt > >through its existence, but its also obvious that emotionally hanging onto > >an institution which has become anachronistic would be politically > >futile.This is a very important debate. The purpose is to reinvent the all > >important unity that we urgently need to remove from power the political > >culture of banditry, brutality and criminality that the A(F)PRC regime has > >come to represent. Omar Joof. > Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 08:15:58 -0500> From: > >[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: CALL for THE  RESIGNATION of ALL > >Opposition leaders> To: [log in to unmask]> > Brother Sidibeh,>  > > >                         I cannot agree with more on this. I concur and let > > > our voices be heard on  this.This part of the democratization process.>  > > > Edrissa.> > > >�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A> > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > >Web interface> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> > To > >Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > >http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> To contact the > >List Management, please send an e-mail to:> > >[log in to unmask]> > >�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A> >_________________________________________________________________> >Get the new Windows Live Messenger!> >http://get.live.com/messenger/overview> >> >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤> >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > >Web interface> >at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> >> >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > >http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:> >[log in to unmask]> >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤> > _________________________________________________________________> FREE online classifieds from Windows Live Expo – buy and sell with people > you know > http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwex0010000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://expo.live.com?s_cid=Hotmail_tagline_12/06> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:> [log in to unmask]> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

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