Hamjatta, another masterpiece. From the onset, I always read your postings
with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I feel immense pride seeing the
brilliance in your work and the potential for our nation. On the other hand,
I always lament the fact that thanks to the Yayas of this world, mediocrity
is what thrives back home. The way you dissected Yaya's intellectual
prostitutes, is spot on. Your description of Roberts must be quite apt. I
can tell you that I do not even know the nonentity. These so called
disgruntled elements from the Jawara era are only a bunch of losers. As I
said here months ago about Fatoumata Jahumpa and Bala Jahumpa, these people
even benefited from the Jawara regime more than people like you and me.
There was a great piece in one of our local newspapers also pointing out how
people like Saja Taal benefited from the Jawara regime and how he has now
turned his principles up side down. It is pathetic the way these people lead
their lives. The main culprit here is unaccountability. We do not confront
these people with their inconsistencies and ask them to reconcile the double
standards. But that is going to change. Hamjatta, I can tell you that
privately I have never discussed with anyone that can convince me that Yaya
is good for our country. This is since 1994. I take them to task and
challenge them with concrete facts. In the end, they just put me aside and
cease discussing with me about Yaya. They all know that what is going on is
not right. But few of them have the decency to face reality. Do people think
that Roberts does not know that Yaya is corrupt and steals money from the
Gambian people? Do people think that Roberts does not know that Yaya
practices the worst form of nepotism? All these people know that Yaya was
responsible for the massacre of our children on April 10 and 11. They also
know that Yaya is a moron because they talk to him. The Roberts' and the
Johnsons of this world all know evil when they see it. They do not have the
guts to stand up to it or at least distance themselves from it. It is
telling according to your account that Roberts waited until Jawara was gone
to air his (Roberts') grievances. That is what these people do. What is
sickening to me is the pretense and the self-righteousness they engage in.
There is nothing wrong in admitting that you are a coward if you are one. As
you pointed out, we are going to follow the moves these people make and when
the time of reckoning comes, they are going to account for their actions. I
am also glad that you pointed out the futility in fighting for Johnson
before the courts. Even if he is reinstated, Johnson is not going to solve
our problems. It is a mistake to compare Johnson's token moves at being
independent with Roberts' earlier failures when he was at the helm. In my
book, both men are incapable. Johnson might be better than Roberts, but
Johnson also does not have what it takes. Is Johnson going to do like Guie
(electoral commission) in Ivory Coast and declare a result unfavorable to
Yaya even under immense duress? Is this not the same man that went to Sami
and told people that they cannot freely exercise their right to conduct
political campaigns as we know it? Is this not the same Johnson that was
dragging his feet about the November elections? Is this not the same man
that orchestrated the holding of a 'non-partisan' election in Sami? Up to
this day I cannot get a logical explanation as to where Johnson got those
rules from. It seems like Johnson himself does not know. One of his prayers
to the court was for a declaration that Local Government elections can be
held on a 'non-partisan' basis. So if Johnson was sure of what he was doing,
why did he need a court declaration? I suggest that he wanted to tie the
Gambian people in knots. He wanted to have legal backing for those clearly
undemocratic and unconstitutional laws. As I said before, if the IEC wants
to curb the thuggery that mars elections campaigns in The Gambia, it should
find ways of forcing the Police to enforce the criminal laws of the country.
It is absurd to say that the way to solve this problem is to ban political
rallies. It is like saying that the way to solve the problem posed by drunk
drivers, is to ask other motorists to give up driving. The Opposition should
realize that there is no inconsistency in condemning Yaya's unilateral
dismissal of Johnson and at the same time saying that Johnson should fight
his battle by himself. If the man stands up to Yaya, I will be shocked. The
Opposition can use this debacle to change the way electoral commissioners
are selected. Advocate that the task be placed in the hands of judges that
are going to use legal (as opposed to political) criteria to appoint and
fire electoral commissioners. As far as Roberts is concerned, rest assured
that we will scrutinize all his moves. The shenanigans of past elections
will not be repeated. Frankly though, I also think that the writing is
already on the wall. There cannot be free and fair presidential elections in
the country. The sooner the Opposition realizes this and do something about
it, the better. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand, and as soon as
Yaya crosses it, the masses should pounce on him. The murderer of our
children should not be allowed to govern that country. Hamjatta, thanks once
again for your contributions.
KB



>From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: The Shape of Things to Come
>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 22:35:02 -0000
>

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