Barrow & Toure,
Brothers, i share your view that the UDP is capable inconsistencies that if
left unchecked would in the long run seek to undermine its combative-ness
vis-a-vis in the struggle against the Dictatorship.

Prior to the farce that became the by-elections of Baddibu and Kiang, Brother
KB and i raised the flag in the inconsistency inherent in challenging the
legitimacy of Roberts and on the other hand go ahead and contest by-elections
administered by the very person whose chairmanship they deem as illegal. This
we argued then was going to TACITLY legitimise Roberts and in the long-haul
of electoral political positioning in the run up to the 2001 elections, make
the UDP lose its moral ground. Sadly, such constructive strictures fell on
deaf ears as with most critical strictures that we have served to them. As it
happened, the UDP contested the said by-elections and the "results" left much
to be desired for - to  the chagrin and embarrassment of the party
leadership. As it is, the legitimacy question that was surrounding Roberts -
at least in practical legal terms - is virtually non-existent because Roberts
has been legitimised ironically by two of the same parties contesting his
legitimacy: the UDP and the NRP which campaigned honorably alongside the UDP
during the by-elections. This is all thanks to the ripples of arrogance that
one sometimes can't help in detecting coming from the UDP direction. This,
most certainly won't help their case in the fight against the Dictatorship.
It shan't help in courting floating voters who under normal circumstances
would not vote for the UDP but would choose to do so now for purely tactical
reasons. Needless to point out that the UDP's current lack of political
muscle to make certain manoeuvering and moral predicatment or dilemma, is
largely their own making.

 Aside, there is also the issue of engaging those who share their concerns
about the Gambia but do not fully get the picture of where the UDP is coming
from. In my opinion, they need to do more in demarcating facts from fictions
surrounding their alternative programme to the APRC and their underpinning
political philosophy.  Criticising the worst excesses of Jammeh and or the
APRC doesn't by itself constitute a clear demarcation of where the UDP stands
on the crucial issues and where it wants to take the Gambia if it does end up
winning the mandate to govern. To break free from this political tight corner
will need a more humbler but resolute reading of the political make-over the
Gambian polity has undergone since the by-elections. Above all, they must
learn to take on board such constructive strictures that will aid them in the
struggle against the Dictatorship. The tragedy that continues to grip the
Gambian peoples and their society sustained by a gang of philistines and
hustling adventurers CANNOT be held back by one single block of political
interest. It calls for, above all, the unifying umbrella of the Gambian
collective conscience. Yaya Jammeh is not a UDP, NRP or PDOIS problem but a
Gambian problem that can only be effectively disarmed by a Gambian collective
action and conscience. The sooner we realise the futility of partisan ad
hominem bickering in the status-quo and see the beauty in coalescing the
Gambian family in the struggle to bring back Gambian decency and tolerance in
that country, the better for all of us. Arrogance and self-importance has no
place in collective action. And in the event, it must ridiculed and placed in
the back burners of  the dreary routinized times of normal partisan
self-gratification and selfish interest where it is less expensive and
largely dispensable.

The times that we live in are such that no one single party can effectively
disarm the lethal-ness of the tyranny that continues to hold the Gambian
peoples hostage. The times require a modicum of political expediency and or
prudence  the extent  of which requires the marshalling of all shades of
opinion that share the same desire to see the back of Jammeh but do not
necessarily agree with the UDP on most crucial bread and butter issues of
social, political and economic significance. In case people reminding, the
Zeitgeist of our times is not the narrow partisan political interests of one
party but the Realpolitik of taking the bull by the horns and recognising the
need for accomodating views that do not necessarily reconcile with that of
others.

Coming out as it did in saying that it shall contest the Kiang East results
after officially - at least in an implicit Orwellian double-talk - that the
by-elections fared relatively well and in fact alluded a clean bill of health
to the by-elections, surely exposes that something is fundamentally amiss in
the messages the UDP occasionally sends out. I hope they realise that a
political opposition that lays such claims to being ready to be mandated for
election to the highest political office in the land should be ahead of its
times and judiciously endeavour to demarcate all fictions, doubts and vile
rumours from the reality of its ethos, programmes and what it ultimately
seeks to achieve for the Gambian peoples.

Finally, Brolthers i welcome your contributions and extend a belated welcome
to Brother Abdou Toure, who has just joined the fray. I hope we get to see
more display of your lucidity and eloquoence in the debates that lie ahead of
us. Brother Saul Khan, your humility is an inspiration.

All the best,

Hamjatta Kanteh

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------