Mr. Gassama,
you express my long time sentiments, when it comes to debate in The Gambia,
or on the Gambia-L. And I could not have said it better than you do.
A year ago I asked why is it, that some people on the list praise and
support each other, and express that those, who are not for are against. Why
is it that in debates some have a tendency to force each other to the point
of no return to a win-or-loose-situation. We must agree that we donīt see
everything the same way around, and then what ? Why this wish for calling it
all black or white. Things are not always black or white, letīs try and
compromise sometimes, or just accept that we donīt agree.
I also by coincident met people I only knew from the Gambia-L and that was
really thrilling and a very good experience.
Let me try in my poor english to give an impression, and risk an eye, how I,
when it comes to the Gambia or gambian issues, am not only for or against.
I have travelled since 78 to the Gambia and I like/love the country and most
of the people I meet. I want to see the country developed, the faster the
better. Like I try and learn and understand the people, history and
tradition, I also try to understand different kinds of problem, from the
ones inside a family, a compound, a village, up to the national and
international ones.
I accept if the people has got enough, they try to get rid of their
leaders, hopefully by ballot and not by a military take over as in The
Gambia. But now itīs been like that, I can not change that situation, so I
look forward and I do hope for the best. As in the Jawara days I did not see
every thing black or white, itīs the same how I see the present president
and government.
When I pay visits to The Gambia I am glad that there are so many progresses
going on. Just to mention a few:
I am happy that the country a few years back got a TV-station, to inform,
educate the people, to give a platform for gambian culture. But at the same
time I could criticise the lack of thorough journalism on politics,
national and local, like as a state-medium it should act more balanced.
And even you have a state-supported news-station itīs important to
accept/protect other private radio-stations, news-magazines etc. rights to
also broadcast news.
I am happy that there are so many schools build all over the country and old
schools are renovated and more classrooms added. The numbers of students
they are forced to take in at the Gambia College has increased dramatically
over the past few years. They are stressed to the outmost out there at the
college, but that is good.
At the same time I am critical to the jobsituation for the teachers, the
lack of materials in the educational system from top to bottom, but I see
it as a step in the right direction. The same with the university
programmes. I can find many things to criticise in those programmes but
again itīs a step, and you must as a poor country with limited resources
take it step by step.
Iīm glad that the government has given free education a higher priority, by
letting the girls education be free. Hopefully it will soon also be free for
the boys. I have often said itīs too expensive for an ordinary family to
send their children into school. Many of my friends can not afford the high
costs.
I like the "fight" with the infra structure, to build more roads, bridges
and maybe also ferries. Get water and electricity supply up all over, and
better the sanitary. The priority could be otherwise but I find it OK.
And I have noticed that there is a plan to make The Gambia the gateway to
Westafrica both in producing, transport, technology etc. I wait impatient to
see it started and running.
I like to see the struggle to find a way to be self-sufficient on
food-production. I should like it to have a higher priority and based more
on co-operatives , but again I do see many progress.
But I certainly look for more job-intensive fabrics, so many families could
earn a living, when a person could get a job in that sector. Donīt wait for
the private sector, combine it with the state-enterprise.
I like to see building of clinics and hospitals, even I at the same time
find the lack of fundamental resources of medicine alarming. Last time in
the Gambia I had to take two of my friends from clinic to clinic to get them
the best treatment against malaria, one friend nearly died.
I blame the authorities and organisations, that there is a trend to ask for
high academic degrees in jobs which could easily be handled by gambians
educated in the gambia. When I read some of the job-descriptions when
advertising for applicants, I think itīs crazy to offer such a salary on an
university-degree candidate for a simple job as advisor, cashier, etc.
I find it OK that the president and his party take some credit for many of
these progresses, but I donīt like that he/they campaign as if those parts
of the country, which are critical to him/the party should face
destiny/fortune/revenge and not get the same progresses.
And although I like the speed of all this I fear for the state budget and
the tax-burden. Those who is going to pay for the progresses is the gambian
people itself. And I should like the ordinary gambians to understand how
"politics" are like. Those infrastructures are not god-given, gifts from
president/APRC, but from themselves to themselves. That the state-budget is
just a big-scale of a family-budget. There has to be income balanced with
expenditures. And there are different political solutions to such
development and progresses. In my opinion many politicians in the country
fail to teach their supporters the differences between the different
parties. It often ends up to be mostly a personal question, a man to man
election, and not an election on principals. That is what I think fails in
the political tradition, but I do hope this is also just a step forward.
What I donīt like is the way the "control" of the country is build up. I
have said it many times - I donīt like the road stops, the intimidation and
harassment one can see daily in the streets practised by some men in
uniform. To me they behave badly and not disciplined.
I donīt like the reports of torture we from time to time gets from people
and media. To me there is no excuse to torture other people. No mater if
itīs in Denmark, USA, Chile, Balkan, The Gambia.
And itīs embarrassing because The Gambia host the African center of human
rights. Which on the other hand I think we should be proud of.
In my opinion it is the police, who should take care of daily law and order,
criminal acts of any kind, traffic, custom and boarder control. Not military
or paramilitary nor NIA. The military should not be seen in the streets.
They live their life in the barracks and are trained in combat, to protect
The Gambia and itīs people from outside, and if possible serve
internationally in peacekeeping forces, f.in. in Africa. I think there is
great need to form an african peace-keeping force to solve conflicts inside
Africa, And The Gambia could certainly take a position here. (Like small
Denmark do in UN-peacekeeping forces all over) The national guard could be a
special trained force of elite-soldiers, but they should behave very very
disciplined.
The NIA should certainly concentrate itīs activities on states-enemies, but
under political control. And I certainly donīt like the reports of people
tortured under the authorities (NIA, Police, military) custody, even I know
you can find the same here in the west. Like I criticise it here I want to
do it out there.
People in uniform seen in the streets should only be policemen. If a
military is on his way to/from job and he is wearing a uniform, he should
wear it correctly. I have seen too many men wearing a uniform in disorder.
If a man employed in the army is on duty f.in. around the celebration of the
re-election of the president, I expect those men to behave very, very
orderly. Not dancing around, not cheering and saluting if not ordered. If
those who ran around that day and night were not on duty, they should not
wear uniform. In civilian clothes they could as their neighbour celebrate
that victory.
I also think that the legal system could be transformed a bit and the
reputation of the courts established to a higher level of independence. A
clear distinction between the three powers.
You find the european system practised in the courts, even you have another
african system, which I think could run together with the "imported" one.
There is an african tradition that conflict are handled locally, where many
people are involved. If one has done something to another person it involves
in your traditional system the families on both sides to find a solution.
Many people come up with their idea of solution, and later on you find the
one which is accepted. Some sort of local tribunal. In our system you only
involve the persons who are directly involved, witnesses. Later the
court/the judge enforce his/the laws sentence on you. I think that in small
offences you could try and involve local tribunals, and let the courts only
step in when itīs more serious. You spend too much time in courts to get too
little out of it. And many of your judges are not gambians but from outside.
They donīt know of the gambian society and they will judge out of that
limited knowledge.
I certainly donīt like the political system. The british/american system
where the winner takes it all, is a very special form of democracy, which in
my opinion leads to tendencies of small "wars", very partisan campaigns,
when the election is coming up. The seats in a parliament should reflect the
total numbers of voters cast on the different parties nationwide. Then you
can have constituencies to ensure that the parliament-members also come from
and represent different parts of a country. This is a general opinion of
mine and has nothing specific to do with The Gambia.
But I am critical towards some of the parties donīt work on the political
issues or agenda between elections. Nor do they try and give next generation
of leaders in the party a platform, which leads to lack of successors when
the old guard leaves the stage light. That a party boycott parliament
elections and give away the daily platform for political speeches, the
chance to speak up in the parliament, that is one thing I really donīt
understand. But that is maybe because Iīm ignorant. I certainly donīt like
the buying of voters cards, or the tradition of giving gifts to your
supposed supporters after winning. If you have rice to distribute then give
it to the people in need, and not to those who you think were your dedicated
supporters.
I donīt know the president personally, and I will not judge him as a person.
But what I should like to see is more of a FATHER-figure. He is the
president for all gambians, the whole of The Gambia, and he should behave
like that. Even he is out of a party and has a specific political platform
and program to take out. I will not say that you all should love or like
him, but he should in my opinion try and act more to win respect from all.
And he should also try and talk to our hearts. You could see he was happy
the day the result came in and he was re-elected and he took a short ride
out of the residence. Why should he just few days later threat people in
public jobs, that if they have not voted for him, they were not able to be
loyal and serve him and the state, and should fear for their jobs ?
Why not use his authority to solve the situation after the april-incident,
instead of putting forward the indemnity-act, which should serve all
involved in crimes. I think he should take the reports and declare that
something ran out of order, someone failed his duties and dismiss those in
charge that day. Get it over with. And then let the boys who are now laying
suffering at RV get the treatment and operations needed no matter where and
what it costs be it in America, Russia, Egypt. And compensate the families.
Let the student leader return and rest. To risk something, to risk your arm,
that is a step towards reconciliation.
And if the state has nothing important in the Dumo-trial, get it over with.
Let the men free instead of playing a game that first one then the other
prosecutor is ill. Get forward, try and do something. The truth and the
compensation will always be disputed no matter what solution. So if I was
the president I should try and get forward without that millstone round my
neck.
History will tell and judge, so no matter what he does there will be some
who said he stood behind all this. I donīt see it as weakness or acceptance
of any guilt to try and get forward. Thatīs how "cool and cruel" politics is
and as I say, history will judge by the end.
Like he is trying to do something towards former president Jawara. Try and
get the old man back to a pensioners life in the Gambia. The old man is
Gambian history no matter what you all think he did well or not so well or
badly. He is your first president after independence, a vet who became your
president. He belongs to your history and I think that President Jammeh do
the right thing, get the man home under certain conditions.
The President is taking a risk here. He really risk an arm. The man he
forced out of office, he now try and get backk home. I want him to behave
with the same courage on the DUMO case and the april incident.
What I like is the priority he seems to give the women, in society, in
public jobs, in politics. And many women love him for that attitude. And I
think that is a good strategy. Itīs seen here in the west to become the best
strategy to development, support the women out there.
As a toubab from the rich west, I would like Jammeh to balance his
well-placed critics towards "the west" with a more compromising attitude
realizing that we are not all evil, new colonialists, some want to help and
certainly itīs not us alone to dictate the conditions for the help. Be
sceptic YES, but understand that we are many people out here, who want to
put pressure on our leaders when it comes to helping developing and poor
countries. And we must form a strategic alliance. We donīt want to take
control.
But generally the tax-payers here in Denmark want to see that the money they
pay, is given to people in need. If possible people up here would go and
hand the money over directly to the women in the african villages. That is
the control we want, and reports that the money is well spend, or we have to
do better. We also want to tell the leaders in certain countries which
produce a long trail of refugees, that there must be a reason why many
people wants to leave their homes to ensure life, and we ask such a
government/leadership to look very critical into the reasons and try to do
better, IF our taxpayers money should go and help building infrastructure in
such a country. Itīs not that we want to dictate what kind of democracy a
country should have or we only want to support an opposition, but try and
ask why so many of your citizens flee.
I would like the president to try and understand such arguments. He could
direct so much taxpaid money from the west if he really wanted and without
compromising on principles. Instead itīs poor people in Poland or Ukraine he
ask for help, and we here in western Europe run several development
programmes in both Poland and Ukraine. Itīs not logic.
Iīm positive to the presidents vision that he maybe could get success being
some kind of a mediator in african conflicts, and maybe also get support for
his ideas of renewing the OAU-vision. If he get success he will set a new
standard of leadership. But I think he is balancing on the line which can
lead to a fine leader, but it can also turn out that we will only remember
him as a tyrant. Itīs a difficult balance, and history will judge him. I
think that if he plays his cards well, show he is a human being who cares,
also for those who are maybe not full hearted behind him he can be liked if
not loved by many gambians.
This is how I personally see some of the things in The Gambia. Not always
black and white, positive and negative. In some perspectives I am for the
President and APRC, like I for some reasons also are very critical towards
the politics he and APRC stands for. I should like to see him turn more as
a father-figure for the country instead of using his whip so much and give
fine presents some places, he should rule fair, as the father of all
gambians, also for the 35 % percent who preferred another person to lead the
country. If he is not careful I think he can easily turn into a tyrant.
In politics my sympathy is always with the people, and because I grow up as
a student and took my political standards in the 60īties Iīm still more for
PDOIS than for UDP, sorry - but again this is not black and white.
I will stop here, as usual it became too long, but me heart is always in The
Gambia, and I like the Gambia-L to get information, to learn from the
debates, to form my opinion on what to think and do. Keep up all of you.
Copenhagen february 18.th
Asbjørn Nordam
on 16/02/02 18:38, MOMODOU BUHARRY GASSAMA at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Hi!
> As the political beliefs and positions of the various individuals that have
> not taken an "everything or nothing" view with regard to the government in The
> Gambia are very diverse, I think it is misleading to attribute blanket
> statements to them. Statements have been made during the past few days that
> are generally attributed to those who do not belong to the "everything or
> nothing" group and these statements do not in the least represent my position.
> I can keep quiet and be guilty by association, or I can offer clarification
> with regard to the various misconceptions.
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