Mo, good to hear from you.  It is really sad how our country is sliding into
the abyss.  Our people are very tolerant and not willing to demand a change
in our situation.  I hope we wake up soon.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou






>From: Momodou Camara <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Tale of Three Assemblies
>Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 10:20:04 +0100
>
>Joe, you bit me on this one. I wanted to forward it to Gambia-L when I saw
>that
>you already did:-) The word "accountability" has been flushed out into the
>Gambia River a long time ago.
>
>Momodou Camara
>
>On 30 Oct 2002 at 20:26, Joe Sambou wrote:
>
> > Folks, below was culled from AllAfrica website.  A parliament in one of
>the
> > wealthiest countries in Africa, said no to their President's request to
>purchase
> > a $51 million Presidential jet, and the parliament rejected the request.
> > Another parliament in the same neighborhood as the first, also rejected
>a
> > similar request, this time from their King for a Royal jet. However, the
>third
> > Assembly, has an attitude of "see no evil, hear no evil, and know no
>evil".
> > This third Assembly has a Philosopher/King - Dictatorship.  He did not
>request
> > as the first two above, as state funds are his funds and how can he seek
> > permission to use his own funds.  Naaah!  This parliament also happens
>to be one
> > of Africa's poorest.  The first two Assemblies had a process and went
>through
> > the established protocols and let the DEMOCRATIC process run its course.
>  The
> > third Assembly has a similar process, but has no need for it.  Ladies
>and
> > gentlemen, this third Assembly is none other than our very own.  Please
>read on.
> >
> >
> > "Power Tends to Corrupt And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" - Lord
>Acton
> > Power to the People True Or False?
> >
> >
> >
> >   Email This Page
> >
> > Print This Page
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The Independent (Banjul)
> >
> > October 28, 2002
> > Posted to the web October 28, 2002
> >
> > Banjul
> >
> > Recently, we heard in the about the decision of the Swazi Parliament not
>to
> > approve the purchase of an executive jet for King Mswati II.
> >
> > That was followed a few days later by loud criticisms of the plan by
> > President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to purchase a 51 million Dollar
> > presidential jet.
> >
> > It was indeed quite amazing that the parliament of an absolute monarchy
>like
> > Swaziland would dare to prevent the King from purchasing an aircraft
>while in a
> > so-called democracy like The Gambia, President Yahya Jammeh seems to
>have
> > acquired a 'presidential jet' from the blue without the National
>Assembly or
> > anyone else being aware of it. That is indeed another indictment of the
> > democratic credentials of this regime, which seems to be doing
>everything above
> > the heads of the people. President Jammeh appears to be behaving like an
> > absolute monarch who says and does whatever he likes and there is hardly
>anyone
> > who dares to call him to order. One is therefore tempted to wonder what
>has
> > become of transparency, accountability and probity, which this regime
>has made
> > so much noise about. Of course it would be foolhardy for anyone to
>expect that
> > the National Assembly as it is constituted at present to ever have the
>courage
> > to question anything done by President Jammeh and his regime. It is
>because a
> > majority of its members seem to owe more allegiance to President Jammeh
>and the
> > executive than they owe to those people who they supposedly represent.
> >
> > As an ordinary lieutenant in The Gambia National Army before the coup in
> > 1994, President Jammeh was never known to be a rich man. Therefore, if
> > within eight years of coming to power he can afford a personal aircraft
>and so
> > much apparent display of wealth and affluence, then he owes an
>explanation to
> > the people of this country as to how he acquired all that wealth. It is
> > certainly not enough to tell us that it is from the Almighty Allah's
>world bank
> > because we all know that does not exist.
> >
> > Since the appearance of his 'personal' jet about three years ago as
>Central
> > African, several attempts seems to have been made to disguise its real
> > ownership, including of course its renaming as Gambia New millennium
>Air.
> > However, all indications point to President Jammeh as its real owner.
> >
> > To crown all that unnecessary extravagance the regime went ahead to
>acquire a
> > jet fighter again from the blue. It is indeed hard to imagine how anyone
>can
> > justify any butut spent on the acquisition or even the maintenance of a
>jet
> > fighter when the economy of this country is in tatters. We certainly do
>not need
> > it and I do not think we ever will.
> >
> > To fight who? Certainly not with Senegal, our only possible adversaries,
> > considering our geographical location. Even President Kumba Yalla,
>despite
> > all his 'open calls' could not have been able to 'crush' The Gambia
>without
> > Senegalese acquiescence.
> >
> > However, neither the purchase of The Gambia New Millennium Air nor that
>of
> > the jet fighter were ever discussed in the National Assembly, let alone
>it
> > be done with the consent of the Gambian people.
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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