Sanusi, you are dead wrong when you say that "I am particularly concerned
about your comments on Kebba Jobe. I personally think that Mr Jobe is using
this forum with contempt, coming here saying all nice
things about APRC, but when asked simple questions he resorts to his
deception tactics. If you remember this man tried to express his sadness
over the brutal murder of Lt Barrow and others-November 11. Within 2 days
this man tried to change his sense of grief by claiming why Ebou Colly
should wait until 6 years before spilling the beans on the November 11
incident".

You can go through the archives if you wish, but you will not find in any of
my posts, where I say I support any of the attrocities being highlighted on
this forum. Not once! Even though I am on record as saying that despite
these attrocities I still support this regime, not once did I say I condone
them. Call it what you want but that is the truth. I am also on record here
as saying that my support of this regime is not because of enducement, fear
or ignorance. My decision, like those of many, is an informed one.

When I said that the UDP loss of the their Kiang East bye elections  cannot
be attributed to Vote-buying, I was lambasted from all sides. However the
fact is there for all to see. I conclusively proved this when I showed that
for the UDP to have retained their Kiang East seat by JUST 1 VOTE, VOTER
TURN-OUT HAD TO BE MORE THAN 93%. Who, on this forum can deny that fact?
Can't you see that if the UDP needs a voter turn-out of more than 93 % to
retain their existing seats come the next elections, then they may as well
disband and call it quits.

Again when I said that the UDP does not seem to have any clear agenda or
strategy to govern this country, every one denied it. Have you followed the
recent exchanges between professed dieheart supporters of the opposition who
are expressing their lack of understanding of what the opposition strategy
is? 6 months to elections and you guys are now admitting that you don't what
you are doing.

As far as I am concerned, the main UDP party is just a party of angry
aggitators with nothing to offer us. There is more to governance than human
rights and if the UDP thinks, for one moment, that the human rights issue of
this government alone will win them votes, then they are in for a big shock.
If you, the socalled sophisticated, well informed dieheart supporters of the
opposition are so confused and disgruntled to the extend that some of you
are demanding to know what the funds you are raising will be used for, how
about the ordinary people living here?

This government has said that it is here to develop the country after
decates of neglect and people are seeing it do just that. Would they risk
voting for a party that is just grumbling just about anything without ever
indicating what it will do for the country when elected? If this government
can earn the respect of the international community to the extend that they
are pumping their had earned money in this country, one wonders why Jawara,
the champion of human and people's rights could not. The fact is there is
more to our expectations than human rights. if you expect a hungry man to
vote for a party whose only promise is to respect human rights whilst saying
nothing about feeding you then you have a serious problem.

Finally if you think that I have conveniently dodged your questions please
ask them again. I am sure you can imagine what it is like, trying to read
every thing posted and defending all that you care about for. It is not easy
I tell you.

Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe.

>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Sanusi Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Gambian Opposition, Elections and Related Issues
>Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 12:54:57 +0100
>
>Yus
>
>Welcome back!
>
>You have raised some very interesting points which no
>one should ignore.
>
>I am particularly concerned about your comments on
>Kebba Jobe. I personally think that Mr Jobe is using
>this forum with contempt, coming here saying all nice
>things about APRC, but when asked simple questions he
>resorts to his deception tactics. If you remember this
>man tried to express his sadness over the brutal
>murder of Lt Barrow and others-November 11. Within 2
>days this man tried to change his sense of grief by
>claiming why Ebou Colly should wait until 6 years
>before spilling the beans on the November 11
>incident.Can we trust or tolerate this man ? I leave
>you that question to answer.
>
>In addition, we have asked several questions
>pertaining to APRC's record but here he dodges the
>answers. Can we therefore consider him(jobe)as a
>genuine debater. Take for instance his assessment on
>Governance under APRC, here again Jobe gives less
>analytic version of events. To be honest with you, I
>find it insulting to all of us. This man appears to be
>support of a Government that would kill or maim
>innocent gambians. No problem with that but be ready
>to acknowledge and convince us why we should support
>APRC.
>
>Yus you wrote "The human rights situation in Gambia is
>the same as in other Africa countries where atrocities
>  are sanctioned daily by perfectly "legitimate"
>regimes "
>
>Whilst you may be right on the issue, should we
>continue to tolerate it. Sorry to say I cannot
>subscribe to that analogy. Taking Gambia's size
>together with its political struggle I remain of the
>view that our current human rights situation is one of
>the worst in Africa. I know people will not agree with
>me on this issue but I am prepared to defend my
>assertion on this issue. Gambia under its Second
>Republic should have been a beacon of hope for human
>rights. The Constitution which was supposed to protect
>human rights is constantly abused by its Architects. I
>need not elaborate you know what I am talking about.
>
>The Opposition parties in the Gambia are at present
>going through a bad time. One day we hear that Mr X of
>UDP has defected to APRC,the next day we hear that Mrs
>Y an alleged coup plotter and former UDP supporter has
>joined the APRC. Even civil servants who sympathise
>with the opposition end up losing their jobs. This is
>a sad situation but who do you blame? The Party for
>not strengthening its grassroots support or the
>militants for being mere opportunists. I personally
>blame neither of them but the Government for carryout
>such a dirty type of politics. Most of these cross
>carpets are made with threats of intimidation. Take
>for instance the case of Aja Fatou Mbenga, Was she not
>accused of treason?  Well I am not surprised since the
>Leader of APRC came to power by committing treason.
>
>With regards to your comments on Pesseh Njie, we heard
>his own version, dismissing all claims of defection.So
>your comments on Pesseh are a bit harsh if you know
>what I am trying to get at.
>
>On the WaaJuwara Issue- I think there seems to be a
>misunderstanding. What Juwara said was this women
>should except preferential treatment in order to
>fulfil their political ambitions. I see no problem
>with this, perhaps you could enlighten me. Our Brother
>in the struggle Hamjatta Kanteh has given us some very
>good  resaons against affirmative action and feminism.
>
>
>On the vote buying- this is an issue which we can no
>longer tolerate, During the 1987 General Elections PPP
>used this device to win seats from the opposition.
>There were several seats which were won through the
>vote buying scheme, Seats like Kantora, Central
>Baddibu, Lower Niumi Basse, Tumuna, Banjul Central
>Kombo South and many others were won through this
>device.  Vote buying is actually a criminal offence
>under the Election Decree 1995. Since there have been
>strong claims of vote-buying in the By Elections, are
>we not incline to raise your objection. Should we seat
>down and allow our electoral laws to be violated year
>in year out?.
>
>I await your response
>
>
>Have a wonderful day
>
>Sanusi
>
>
>--- Yusupha C Jow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > In spite of
>my self imposed hiatus, I have been a
 > 'peeper' of the main site
 > of late.   Observing the debate rage on has been an
 > interesting experience
 > since it has shown me some of the inherent
 > disadvantages in thinking too
 > alike.   This phenomenon which some may call cabals,
 > niches or 'online
 > friendships sealed in blood' is, in my opinion, an
 > impediment to progressive
 > ideas resulting from dissenting views, as slight as
 > they may be.
 >
 > Case in point, the recent merciless lambasting of
 > Kebba Jobe, AKA Daddy Nying
 > and Kebba Joke.    The man has obviously shown that
 > his affiliation with the
 > APRC regime is very conflicted one.   He has openly
 > accepted some of the
 > wrongs of the regime but refuses to blame Yahya
 > Jammeh on the basis that he
 > does not solely comprise the APRC.  According to
 > Jobe, the blame must be
 > shared roundly.   What is wrong with this picture?
 > In my opinion, nothing.
 >   The human rights situation in The Gambia is the
 > same as in other African
 > countries where atrocities are sanctioned daily by
 > perfectly 'legitimate'
 > regimes.   Point is Jobe is no different from many
 > other Gambians who support
 > the present regime based on the premise that their
 > overall record outweighs
 > the evil perpetrated by this regime.   In this
 > light, lambasting Jobe really
 > serves no purpose because it will not change a thing
 > when it comes to the
 > minority of people who subscribe to his school of
 > thought.   Yet, we keep on
 > lambasting away, wasting bandwidth in the process
 > while neglecting the up and
 > coming election which will determine the future of
 > the Gambian people for the
 > next 4 or 5 years.   Because of this conformity or
 > 'thinking alike' issue,
 > this diversion becomes less easy to realise and I
 > believe the ruling party's
 > political pundits are simply using the Gambia-L as a
 > testing ground for some
 > of their soon to be deployed political strategies.
 >
 > Another pertinent issue is the state of our
 > opposition parties and their
 > apparent disregard for the 101 of political
 > strategies.   Some of their
 > representatives, like Ebrima Pesseh Njie, are no
 > more than rubber stamps who
 > will not hesitate to switch allegiances when the
 > going gets tough or the
 > money gets too enticing.   This cross-carpeting
 > problem has reared it's ugly
 > head before, but the UDP simply will not learn and
 > continue to make the same
 > mistakes by appointing less than worthy characters
 > who not only change
 > faction, but also sully the party's image.    The
 > recent antifeminist
 > utterances of people like Wu Jawara  do a serious
 > disservice to the
 > opposition in a country where women are perhaps
 > among the most oppressed in
 > the World yet make up over 50% of the voting
 > population.  Should it take a
 > rocket scientist to figure out that the women of The
 > Gambia not only deserve
 > equal representation in political positions, but
 > bureaux, ministries and
 > movements which will make sure every effort is made
 > to improve the status of
 > women back home?   IMHO, a well learned man like
 > Ousainou Darboe, would never
 > make a political gaffe like this one.   It is his
 > troops (MPs etc.) who need
 > to be reined in to show the unity of a party which
 > speaks responsibly in one
 > voice.  Again, we see these gaffes but the few who
 > speak are quickly silenced
 > by the overwhelmingly unitarian cabal.
 >
 > The issue of political strategy when it concerns
 > campaigning and elections
 > also comes to mind when one studies the latest
 > trends of the UDP.  After the
 > outcome of the last by-elections as a result of the
 > unfortunate death of
 > several UDP members, it  became painfully apparent
 > to me that the party did
 > not adhere to a strategy which was borne out of any
 > type of detailed
 > analysis.   When one compares the amount of people
 > who actually voted to
 > those who actually voted, it becomes obvious the
 > voter turnout was extremely
 > low.   Based on analysis from Foroya, 1056 people
 > did not vote in Kiang East.
 >   This amounts to slightly more than ¼ of the
 > registered voters in the area,
 > a significant number which could have made all the
 > difference.    Even so, I
 > am convinced an equally large amount of residents of
 > these areas did not
 > vote.   Interestingly enough, the voting patterns of
 > Gambians during PPP days
 > are strikingly similar to the voting patterns shown
 > in the 1997 elections.
 > The opposition won in most of the same places where
 > they had strongholds, the
 > numbers were roughly equal and the reasons for
 > losing were virtually the
 > same.   But, here on the Gambia-L, we cry voter
 > buyout and such without
 > bothering to look closely at the numbers.   Again a
 > dire consequence, of
 > conformity of thought and an acceptance of the
 > status quo without question or
 > because this person said so.
 >
 > In conclusion, I would like to conclusively again
 > reaffirm my opposition to
 > the present regime.   Gambians should not settle for
 > less than we deserve.
 > But the overall picture is dire.   There seems to be
 > an apparent lack of
 > political gain (in the true sense) coming from the
 > main opposition party.
 > The only headway being made is by PDOIS, a
 > statistical nonentity in Gambian
 > politics.   For this reason, I think a UNITED front
 > is the way forward for
 > change back home.   I would also implore on all
 > members of the L to put on
 > their thinking caps (so to speak) and come up with
 > their own ideas/reasons on
 > how to overcome this terrible situation.   Let us
 > avoid where necessary this
 > overly 'thinking alike' affliction which tends to
 > stifle forward thinking.
 >
 >
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