> Dear Gambia L,
>
> Reading the tone of the majority leader, there is
every indication
that
they
> will try to manipulate the date of the election
ultimately prolonging
it.
> Mr. Tamsir Jallow is in no doubt about the general
felling in the
heart
and
> soul of the Gambian electorate about the
statusquo.They  must have
been
> calculating our minds which  is the beginning of the
end of their
majority
> and the total eradication of them from the Gambia's
political
scene.The
hand
> writing is on the wall! In his statement he clearly
was trying to
twist
the
> IEC's arm by saying "the Independent Electoral
Commission has no
> jurisdiction whatsoever to fix a date for the Local
Government
Elections
> without consulting the government".
> Mr. Jallow you must realize that the Gambian people
are crying for
change
> come elections you will witness it. You were quite
right that the tax
payers
> should have a say in date of the elections.In
addition if this
government
> really care about Gambian taxpayers then how come
your government
impose
> leaders on them. Some of the chiefs and "alkalos"
have been
appointed by
> this govt. without allowing the same taxpayers the
opportunity to say
who
> should represent them.So please stop showing to the
world that
Gambian
> taxpayers are listened to whilst this govt. trample
on their rights
on a
> daily basis. My message to you and the govt. is this
leave the task
of
> elections to the IEC without an iota of interference
because the
world is
> watching.We cannot afford to remain in the book of
countries with
rogue
> leadership.
>
> Mori Kebba Jammeh
>
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: Asbjørn Nordam <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2000 1:39 AM
> Subject: Will elections be held, coroners report ?
>
>
> Friends, this is from "The Point" and "The
Independent"
>
> do we see the governments first attemt to postpone
the already
announced
> election-terms ? I said it few days after the april
incident, that I
was
> expecting something to postpone elections. I´m not
saying that the
> government will do so, but ....
>
> And I have also been waiting the past week for the
coroners report (
> conclusions to be published.
>
> Asbjørn Nordam
>
> From the Point
> "The majority leader at the National Assembly Tamsir
Jallow has said
that
> the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC  has no
jurisdiction
whatsoever
to
> fix a date for the Local Government Elections
without consulting the
> government.
>
> Mr. Jallow indicated that the IEC can only fix a
date in consultation
with
> government, adding that even the legislation has not
been passed in
the
> National Assembly, then why the date.
>
> He said the legislation has to be processed in the
Assembly before
thinking
> of elections.
>
> "The IEC is financed by the taxpayers and the
government is mandated
to
> protect the taxpayers money. Then why should they do
things without
> consulting the government in power. I was not aware
of any
consultations.
I
> think the IEC should be asked  how they arrived at
the November date
for
the
> local government elections when the bill has not be
put into law," he
> intimated."
> (....)
> "On Decree 89, Hon Jallow said when the motion for
Decree 89 came to
the
> National Assembly they thought  it was not prudent
to pass the bill,
that
> was why they did not accept it. "That's democracy,"
he said.
>
> Meanwhile, when contacted the IEC's secretary and
Administrator of
the
> Commissio, Kawsu Ceesay, said the IEC has the
mandate to fix dates
for
> elections as clearly stipulated in the Constitution.
>
> He said the National Assembly has the responsibility
to work on the
> modalities of how it's to be conducted, the
necessary tools involved.
>
> He said the date has been fixed tentatively
depending whether the
> legislation will be ready for them to conduct the
elections.
>
> "The fixing of dates is in the purview of the IEC,
so we don't need
to
> consult any body whatsoever. We are independent and
we must act
> independently. I think that statement is
misleading," he said.
>
> Mr. Ceesay added that they are still waiting for the
legislation so
that
the
> election is conducted"
>
>
> From The Independent
> "The Coroner was appointed on 17th April and
concluded his hearings a
few
> weeks ago. It was announced that the report of the
Coroner's findings
would
> be released on 15th May. People both inside The
Gambia and in many
parts
of
> the world have been eagerly waiting for these
findings. But 15th May
has
> come and gone and there has been nothing but silence
from the
government
on
> the matter."
> (...)
>  "Many grieving parents and relatives of the dead
overcame their
distress
to
> attend the hearings, give evidence and even question
witnesses to
ensure
the
> Inquest was thorough".
>
> "The government's silence on their failure to
release the report as
> scheduled is puzzling. What is the problem? If
either the Coroner or
the
> government needs more time, then why not announce
this publicly
explaining
> the reasons and thereby setting people's minds at
rest?"
>
> "As we have reported today, many people are very
dissatisfied with
this
> unexplained delay. It has led some to question the
potential
effectiveness
> of the Commission of Enquiry that began its hearings
on Wednesday."
>
>
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