Brother Joe Sambou.

Many many thanks in bringing to our notice this important message from the
NADD flag-bearer. Hon. Halifa Sallah raised quite a number of important
questions that need careful assimilation. I am sure all those who care so
much for Gambia will take the time needed to scrutinise his every word in
order to reach some conclusion that will contribute in charting a way
forward for all forces wanting to bring progressive change to our land.

Certainly,  I will do my own bit in that collective effort. My concern
however is simply that you seem to reduce the failure of the Opposition to
unseat Jammeh partly to a lack of resources and partly to reasons of
"tribalism", only!

I simply disagree, comrade.

Cheers,
Sidibeh


2006/11/1, Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> Folks, I do not think that there is one Gambian that can in good
> conscience,
> have an issue with the service, dedication, and commitment of halifa
> Sallah
> to the positive uplift of Gambians.  So, why did Gambians vote the way
> they
> did?  Why did Gambians re-elect a murderer and a thief that has been
> killing
> and stealing from them for the past 12 years?  This is not about being
> afraid, but rather what Gambians wanted to do for what ever justification.
> After they voted the murderer back into office, how are the masses coping
> with paying their kid's education?  How is their health?  How about their
> living condition?  Do they have clean drinking water, etc.?  The answer
> is,
> nothing has change and will change for them but to continue to live
> miserably for the next five years.  We were reckless in what we chose,
> thus
> we shall live the outcome of our decisions.  That is those on the ground,
> in
> the pit of the fire.
>
> Now, to those that are thousands of miles away, we have our own share of
> responsibility in this lost opportunity.  First of all, Gambians watched
> the
> only organization that dedicated its time, efforts, and resources for the
> uplift of Gambian interest, get wrestled and bogged down by dishonest and
> incompetent self serving party organizations, mounted on tribalism and
> nothing else.  STGDP worked for four years bringing Gambians together to
> form a united front against the rogue government in the Gambia; brought
> the
> four political party leaders to the table to also form a united front to
> challenge and defeat the APRC; Raised funds from within and among Gambians
> and helped the predecessor of NADD and NADD to contest and win elections;
> sponsored a radio program that gave the opposition a voice to be heard by
> Gambians on the ground; lobbied congress men and women and the US state
> Department, civic orgs. and interest groups to address the Gambian
> situation, etc.  All this, only to see a bunch of tribalist that have no
> agenda but to push for ethnic superiority and alliance to shatter the
> hopes
> and dreams of all Gambians, including their very selves.  Those who knew
> better took the philosophical route under the banner of intellectualism,
> skirting taking on the backwardness that confront them.
>
> In the end, with the help of few other Gambians, the same STGDP members
> dug
> into their pockets to fulfill their civic responsibility to our people and
> ourselves and give their best.  However, as stated below, that was not
> nearly enough to fight a kleptocracy with millions of dollars.  We did not
> need to match the Kleptocracy dollar for dollar, or in percentage
> accumulation.  All NADD needed was something as little as $100,000 or
> less,
> to be able to carry their message consistently in the last weeks before
> the
> elections.  Gambians, you and I, in the diaspora, refused to support a
> program we all agreed is the best that ever happened to us.  This is a
> time
> for all of us to reflect on our sincerity and honesty on what we want to
> see
> in our country.
>
> Now that we are seeing the result of what we allowed to happen, happen, we
> have an opportunity to start the rebuilding process.  All must be tasked
> to
> action and not speech alone.  Do we want to increase the voice of the
> opposition in the NA?  If no, then we can continue to do nothing and be
> fatalistic.  If yes, then, are we willing to dig into our pockets to work
> with the opposition and increase their numbers?  Can we get a commitment
> for
> each to contribute at a minimum, $100, toward our liberation?  Folks, that
> is a very small price to pay for ones liberation or empowerment.  Now, we
> can philosophize all we want, in the end, money is needed to make this
> happen.  Can we commit to continuing our journey towards our liberation,
> that is the question.
>
> Can we speak with one voice after our commitment, to hold accountable any
> that is against our collective interest?  Folks, this in simple language
> means that we dedicate ourselves to our national interest, and not tribal,
> religious, or other sub interests.  Leadership is very important in any
> struggle and so, we cannot afford to allow any that do not share the
> common
> interest to disrupt or soil our collective resolve.  The is an opportunity
> for us to rehabilitate ourselves, or a continuation of the path that kept
> yielding us disastrous results.  What say the people?  I raise my hand to
> this challenge and more, any yeah's or nays?
>
> Chi Jaama
>
> Joe
>
>
>
>
>
> NADD FLAG BEARER ON THE  ELECTION
>
> The lessons are clear. The destiny of the Gambian Republic lies
> in the
> sovereign hands of her sovereign people. In the same vein, my
> political weight  and
> fate lie in their hands.
> Of course, it is rational to conclude that  people just decided
> to vote for
> either candidate for the presidency because of  their assumption
> that NADD
> cannot win and then proceed to prophecy that voters  in
> Serrekunda Central will
> vote for me in the National Assembly election. I will  not allow
> my mind to
> harbour such a fanciful logic.
> Hence if I were to be  asked whether I will be a candidate in
> the forthcoming
> National Assembly  elections my answer will be simple. My
> political fate now
> hangs on the balance  of probabilities. It is for the people to
> decide. It is
> not for me to decide. To  me representation is not a career but
> a duty that
> one is called upon to perform.  Whenever the people want me to
> rest I will
> gladly do so. I have gained nothing  from politics.
> The fact that Wuli East and Wuli West gave me second place in
> the election
> while Serrekunda Central gave me in 2006 almost 1/3 of the votes
> they gave me
> in the by elections of 2005 must not be taken lightly. I need to
> know how the
> people in Serrekunda Central rank me in terms of message,
> credibility,
> popularity or charisma and trustworthiness. I want the voters in
> Serrekunda
> Central to answer these four fundamental questions for me.
> During  the Presidential campaign, did they find my message to
> be inferior to
> those of  the other two candidates? Did they find me to be less
> credible than
> the other  two candidates? Was I less charismatic or popular
> than them? Did I
> inspire less  trust and confidence than them? If their answers
> are in the
> positive then I have  no reason to contest National Assembly
> elections not to
> talk about future  presidential elections. If their answers are
> in the negative
> then I would want  to know what motivated them to vote the way
> they did. In
> short, if the good Jola  is one who votes for Yahya Jammeh, the
> good Mandinka is
> one who votes for  Darboe, the good Fula is one who is under the
> dictate of
> Hamat and good Manjago  is one who follows Henry, then where is
> the place of
> Halifa Sallah, a  detribalized human being who has long
> committed tribal suicide
> and belong to no  tribe in Gambian politics. If this is how
> people intend to
> conduct politics in  this country then let me be excused to
> build my centre for
> Social Science  Research and civic awareness and leave the task
> of liberating
> The Gambia to the  future generation.
> In order to interact with the electorate, I will conduct a
> constituency tour
> to listen to what people have to say regarding my role as  their
> representative these past four years. I will start the tour on
> Tuesday,  31st October and
> continue up to Sunday. I will send people to visit voters and
> get their
> opinions. I will conduct the widest possible consultation to
> determine  my
> political weight and fate as the Member of Parliament for
> Serrekunda Central
> Constituency.
> I hope the people in Serrekunda Central are fully aware that it
> is the
> executive, the Office of President which has mandate to make
> policies,  prepare a
> budget to be approved and monitored by the National Assembly to
> solve  the
> problems of the nation. It is the role of the KMC to raise funds
> from the  rates,
> licences and taxes to provide good roads, public taps, street
> lights,  proper
> waste collection facilities, recreational facilities, markets,
> community
> centres and so on. The duty of a National Assembly Member is to
> serve as a watch
> dog to tell the executive what it should do and inform the
> people whether it
> is  being done or not. This is how they can put pressure on the
> executive just
> as I  have put pressure on them regarding the terrible
> conditions, which
> existed near  Sandika in Serrekunda. National Assembly members
> should combat bad
> laws and  promote good laws. They should conduct civic education
> to educate
> their  electorate. It is now left to them to determine the type
> of MP they want in
> January 2007. I have done the best I can. I have exposed how
> women still
> draw  water from wells and queue for hours to get water from
> taps 500 to 1000
> metres  away. I have exposed the poor road conditions. I have
> exposed the
> unemployment  situation and the high cost of education. I have
> done what is not even
> the role  of an MP, that is, to deposit half of my National
> Assembly income in
> to a fund  that some borrow from to run small scale businesses
> or sponsor
> disadvantaged  students. We have launched sponsorship schemes
> for poor students
> sponsored by  interested persons; provide vocational training to
> members of the
> community,  provide football gears to children, established a
> counseling
> service to settle  land disputes, marital problems, juvenile
> delinquency cases,
> psychological  problems, labour disputes. We have a library
> where students
> conduct research and  seek advice to write their thesis and
> dissertations. There is
> not a week that we  are not invited to present papers or give
> lectures to
> societies and schools.  Most of the monies received from
> workshops go to finance
> the fees of students  including the education trust fund for
> girls.
> We are consulted by NGOs, CBOs  and other societies in writing
> their
> constitutions. We are also invited  internationally to give
> lectures on the problems
> of the African continent. Not  being an MP will not make me to
> stop these
> services.  I used to provide  them before being an MP and I will
> continue to
> provide them even if I cease to  be an MP. Being asked to quit
> will provide me with
> more time to do research.
> In my view, people in developing countries often confuse the
> period of
> National liberation and the period of the Democratic Revolution.
> People like
> Marty, Castro, Nkrumah, Nasser, and Ghadaffi have played major
> roles in creating  a
> sense of Nationhood, a sense of Common destiny among their
> people just as
> George Washington of the US did but was opposed to multi party
> system. Without
> people liberating and taking ownership of their countries one
> could not talk
> about building democratic societies or government for the
> people. Herein lies
> the merit of the nationalist leaders
> What many liberated countries have  failed to do under the
> pretext of
> ideology or pragmatism is to carryout the  democratic revolution
> to the fullest point
> of empowering the people to be  totally in charge of their
> countries. Once
> the people of each country are in  charge everywhere and
> governments exist only
> to serve them there will be  national peace and world peace. The
> most
> important of all battles to be won in  the 21st century is the
> battle of democracy.
> All progressive forces should  strive to win this battle for the
> fullest
> empowerment of the people to push  world history forward to
> guarantee greater
> liberty, dignity and prosperity for  the people. This is the
> direction NADD wants to
> take the Gambia.
> I maintain  an active political life because of my subscription
> to the
> philosophy that even  though it is good to understand the world
> it is better to
> contribute towards  changing it. Knowledge for its sake is
> sterile unless it can
> be translated into  action to make the world a better place than
> we found it.
> Infact, my centre  for social science research and civic
> awareness is
> stagnant because of the  duties I had to perform as an MP and
> for NADD. If the people
> do decide that it  is best for me to give way to others I would
> then proceed
> to prepare my long  awaited dissertation for sociology under the
> title "The
> Language and Culture of  Custom, Tradition, Religion and Rights
> in the Gambia."
> This will be very  important to the way the future generation is
> brought up.
> There is a lot of  conflict in society today because of lack of
> understanding
> of how socialization  should take place in the 21st century.
> That will provide
> a new insight.
> It  will show that religion is a depository of moral values and
> culture that
> should  not be a source of conflict. It will shatter the myth of
> the clash of
> civilizations between the west and the east. It will give
> credence to certain
> universal values and culture that could transform the world
> into a universal
> home of people living in liberty, dignity and prosperity.
> In the area of  International Relations I would work on the
> title "The
> Doctrine of Collective  Sovereignty." This will be very
> relevant to solving the
> problems in the Middle  East, Darfur and emerging conflicts on
> the continent.
> Instead of a polarized  world and the creation of spheres of
> influence. This will
> show the importance of  creating zones were clusters of states
> like Israel,
> Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestine  will agree on standards of how to
> contain each
> other on the basis of strategic  balance of power and establish
> a compact
> monitored by the international  community to maintain good
> neighbourliness. The
> doctrine of collective  sovereignty could have enabled Sudan,
> Chad, Libya, Central
> African Republic,  Niger to all serve as a cluster of states
> adhering to a
> common standard  monitored by the African Union. Instead of
> seeking military
> solution in Darfur  civic education will start in the refugee
> camps and elections
> done to select a  leader as a starting point to empower the
> people. Men, women
> and youth  representatives could be selected. In the same vein
> negotiation
> for cease fire  should go hand in hand with negotiation on a
> comprehensive plan
> for the sharing  of wealth and power. In my view the future of
> world peace
> does not lie in the  unilateralism of George Bush of the US or
> Neo anti
> imperialism of Chavez of  Venezuela. It lies in the promotion of
> collective sovereignty
> where all states  are required to adhere to standards of
> governance that are
> acceptable to the  people of the world. In this way developing
> countries can
> develop better  standards than the developed countries and push
> them to create
> a new  international economic political. Military and diplomatic
> order instead
> of  justifying their own misgovernance by pointing out the
> inadequacies of
> the  developed countries. Anyway, this is just mentioned in
> passing. Let me get
> back  to the point.
> Now one may ask: What is the future of NADD and the NADD flag
> bearer?
> It should be understood that my mandate as a NADD flag bearer
> did not  go
> beyond the acceptance to serve for one term as President with
> the sole  objective
> of putting in place a democratic constitution, laws and
> institutions,
> policies and practices that would protect fundamental rights and
> freedoms, build  a
> transparent and accountable financial system, eradicate the
> excesses of
> incumbency and set the country on the road of a genuine multi
> party system that
> can guarantee free and fair elections. Since we did not win the
> elections I had
> to ask the NADD executive to come to a determination and
> decision on the
> political fate of NADD and its current flag bearer.
> In short, should NADD  disintegrate or should it be retained?
> Should the post
> of flag bearer be void or  should it be retained? The members of
> the NADD
> Executive have resolved that as  far as they are concerned NADD
> has been
> enthusiastically received and accepted  by the people.
> According to them, the objectives NADD to separate state from
> party, conduct
> civic education, curb the advantages of incumbency by
> restricting  the term
> of the NADD Presidential candidate to one term of five years,
> open up  the
> media to divergent views and build a foundation for a genuine
> multiparty  system
> to emerge, respect and protect fundamental rights and freedoms
> and  consolidate
> a democratic foundation for the country, are still valid. They
> resolved that
> NADD should be maintained and that it should contest the
> forthcoming
> National Assembly election. According to them, NADD's
> flag-bearer  was shown to the
> people after many felt that the opposition will present only
> one candidate;
> that time was needed to explain to the voters what led to the
> split for them to
> be able to make up their minds where to cast their votes.
> "That finally many
> abstained and others who traditionally use to cast their  votes
> for the UDP
> did so in anticipation tat it could win. They argued that now
> that it is clear
> to such people that UDP cannot lead the opposition to victory,
> many saw the
> need for the type of alliance NADD sought to build based on the
> equality of
> all opposition parties just to achieve the aim of building a
> democratic
> foundation for the country.
> The Executive partly attribute NADD's  results to the
> overwhelming resources
> of the APRC which enabled it to go back  where NADD displayed
> strength such as
> Fass Saho, Fulladu etc, to erode its  support. The short time
> exposure of the
> NADD candidate, the inadequate resources  which prevents NADD to
> give
> T-Shirts and flags to its supporters to retain their
> identification with NADD. The
> Executive lamented that STGDP could not provide  the resources
> anticipated
> because of the split in NADD. They noted that the  movement for
> Democracy in New
> York and the Movement for the Restoration of  Democracy in the
> UK were
> completely absent in giving support to NADD in the  campaign.
> They asked me to make
> enquiries why that was the case. They resolved  that we should
> thank all those
> who supported NADD in kind cash, votes, prayers  and spirit
> especially the
> voters of Wuli. They resolved that the flag-bearer  should
> continue and that the
> structures created in Wuli, which enabled the  voters to develop
> a strong
> resistance against inducement and intimidation should  be
> emulated everywhere. They
> mandated me to issue a press release to this  effect. They
> called for a
> tactical alliance between NADD and the other  opposition parties
> or independent
> candidates so that the strength of the  opposition in the
> National Assembly will
> increase. They resolved that all those  who are opposed to such
> a political
> alliance should be seen to be working so  that there will be no
> opposition in
> the National Assembly thus making the Gambia  a one party state.
> They concluded
> that such people should be exposed. What is my  respond to the
> resolution of
> the Executive Committee for me to continue to be  flag-bearer?
>
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