With the Presidential elections about three months away, it is increasingly
getting crystal clear that the government of Yahya Jammeh has no intention of
conducting a free and fair poll. In a bid to achieve their evil aims of
thwarting the wishes of the Gambian people, they have a crafted a combination
strategy of lying to the international community about their intentions and
using every imaginable underhanded tactic domestically to literally enslave
our citizens. List members and the people of our country by extension can
take solace in the fact that all the international institutions and important
friends of the Gambian people from the United Nations, the commonwealth, the
EU and US government will oppose vehemently this murderous regime's attempt
to cling unto power by unlawful means. When  the Commonwealth met in Durban,
South Africa at their last heads of government meeting, Yahya's regime was
singled out for justifiable condemnation and to avoid sanctions, the
government was compelled to undertake specific commitments like getting rid
of odious decrees, allowing for equal access in the public airwaves and
ending the harassment of opponents. None of these undertakings have been
fulfilled by the government and the Commonwealth has taken due notice of the
governments steadfast refusal to treat it's citizens according to the norms
of the organization. Apparently the Jammeh government believes it can
substitute it's written obligations to the Commonwealth with insincere
promises of action. It is been months since Secretary General Mckinnon was
told that the government would begin removing decrees and upholding actual
democracy. They are counting on running the clock on these important changes
up to the last few weeks before the elections and then suddenly coming into
compliance when it would have no intrinsic value for the Gambian people. It
is worth noting that the entire international community have similar sets of
objections when it comes to this regime and I expect all of them (UN, EU, US,
UK, Commonwealth) to reject as unacceptable a delayed adherence to the
stipulations meant to let the Gambian people select their leaders. You would
probably soon hear either Sedat Jobe or Yankuba or some  other lackey
proclaim the government's intention of doing the right thing by removing
decrees or opening GRTS to all Gambians . This regime does not want to
compete for a mandate because they will not win under any circumstances. What
our nation must avoid at all cost is to inadvertently provide an opportunity
in which these killers and charlatans can steal an election. To that end, we
must all insist on an election that guarantees the full participation of all
Gambians under clearly defined rules, supervised by outside monitors and run
by an IEC that is legally constituted and is endorsed by all participants. A
coalition of all the parties should come together and insist on these basic
conditions and demand that the government meet them by a date certain (July
31). If the government fails to respond, UDP, NRP and PDOIS should announce a
united boycott of the election and ask their supporters to come to Banjul in
their tens of thousands on the 18 of October to reclaim their government from
these thugs. The reason for this is announcing only a boycott without forcing
a resolution would mean leaving this very regime in place because they can
always maintain a ragtag bureaucracy despite the isolation and penury an
uncontested election would bring. None participation has to be a definite
prelude to removal. Tens of thousands of Gambians marching to take their
government cannot be stopped and they won't be. The Jammeh regime is trying
to make Gambians what they have never been: unwitting participants in their
own doom. The nation must decide if they would lumber along and wallow in
their misery or take charge of their own destiny and do what is right by
their family, their nation and their GOD. There is no middle ground between
the forces of good and evil. As a nation we must decide if a Gestapo like
regime drenched in the blood of innocent Gambians would be allowed to stay
through lying, cheating and corruption or we would wipe the slate clean and
foster a strong democracy.
Karamba

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