Dear PDOIS Cebtral Committee,

Thank you for stating your position which is indeed the reason that
opposition parties exist and continue to participate in the electoral process
even when they are not the party in power. However, I think that we can all
agree that things are not normal in our country as far as the ruling party
abiding by the rules of our constitution. This has essentially rendered these
very checks and balances you site here  irtually null and void, and I am of
the opinion that the reason some polotical parties are boycotting the
parliamentary elections is because of the blatant and open  miscarriages of
justice in the  electoral process that has ensued and continues ot ensue.
In the face of all that, it appears to me that any grand pronouncements of
reasons for competing in the national assembly elections in order to continue
to enforce checks and balances in our system of government is unrealistic
since the ruling party and the president have made a regular practice of
setting our constitution aside whenever it pleases him to do so. Therefore,
my faith in the ability of any opposition party to effectively serve as the
guardians of checks and balances is not realistic at this point in my opinio,
and this is the reason for my appeal to the rest of the op[position parties
to boycott this upcoming election.
Additionally, there were many allegations of foreign voters having
participated in our presidential elections and I would like to know what
PDOIS views, comments and ideas are on this issue. Thank you and I look
forward to your contrubution on these topics.

Jabou Joh


In a message dated 12/25/2001 8:14:40 AM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:


>
> The text below is issued by the Central Committee of PDOIS.
> Adama
>
>
> P.D.O.I.S.
>
>
>
> Agenda For Service To People, Country And Community
>
>
> Election Platform Of PDOIS' Candidates For 2002 National Assembly Elections
>
> Introduction
>
> The Gambia is a sovereign Republic. The country belongs to the people. Each
> Gambian has equal authority to determine who will manage the affairs of the
> country. This is why section one of the constitution states that " The
> sovereignty of the Gambia resides in the people of the Gambia from whom all
> organs of government derive their authority and in whose name and for whose
> welfare and prosperity the powers of the government are to be exercised".
>
> This is the cornerstone of the electoral system. All of us cannot meet
> daily
> to establish and maintain health, educational and other institutions;
> negotiate loans and other international agreements; make laws and policies.
> This is why we elect a president and members of the National Assembly.
>
> The president has a role to play. The members of the National Assembly have
> different roles to play.
>
> The president has the authority to establish health, education and other
> Departments of State, appoint Secretaries of State to oversee them, prepare
> budgets to maintain them, enter into negotiation with foreign governments
> and institutions and present policies and bills to the National Assembly
> for
> approval.
>
> It goes without saying that in order to ensure accountability and
> transparency in the operation of the executive a National Assembly is
> created to scrutinize how the Departments of State and business of
> government are being managed, approve budgets, receive Auditor General's
> reports, approve international agreements, bills and other motions on
> government policies.
>
> This is precisely the reason why PDOIS maintains that a transparent,
> accountable, responsive people centred government is inconceivable without
> competent, just, honest, responsive and critically minded National Assembly
> members who are bound by the dictates of conscience and the national
> interest This is the verdict of truth and it is incontrovertible.
>
>
> Our Vision
>
> To safeguard in words and practice the role of National Assembly members as
> trustees of the power and aspirations of the sovereign Gambian people, who
> must, at all times, be determined to foster and safeguard liberty, justice,
> dignity and people centre development in accordance with the dictates of
> conscience and the people's interests.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Our Mission
>
> Our mission is to ensure that we;
>
>
> 1. Closely monitor the performance of those assigned to exercise direction
> and control over Departments of State to facilitate proper management of
> government institutions.
>
>
> 2. Scuritinise bills, international agreements, Auditor General's report,
> reports from public corperations, the Central Bank and councils to
> facilitate that the decisions made serve the national interest.
>
>
> 3. Promote the establishment of National Assembly Committees and strengthen
> existing ones so as to actively participate in shaping the national and
> international policies of the country.
>
>
> 4. Upgrade the quality of debate in the National Assembly so as to
> rejuvenate public interest in the institution.
>
>
> 5. Combat all clauses in bills that are likely to be inimical to what is
> reasonable and justifiable in a society which cherishes freedom, justice
> and
> democracy.
>
>
> 6. Combine representation at the National Assembly level to promote
> awareness so as to bring the National Assembly closer to the people and
> guarantee that schools, children and adults are exposed to adequate civic
> education on National Assembly matters in theory and practice.
>
>
> 7. Integrate representation at the National Assembly level with community
> work so as to transform each PDOIS National Assembly member into a
> community
> development worker who is duty bound, to put experience, knowledge and
> services at the disposal of the people in the constituency, to solve
> individual and community problems as well as to protect and promote
> individual and community welfare.
>
>
> Programme
>
> a. Maintain a constituency fund from remuneration for being National
> Assembly member, to be managed by a constituency committee, to foster
> individual and community welfare.
>
>
> b. To establish an office in the constituency which will open in the
> morning
> and afternoon to receive complaints, write petitions and address all
> concerns of the people in the constituency.
>
> c. Organise community meetings on a periodic basis to inform people and
> receive views on all matters which affect their welfare.
>
>
> d. Meet the press periodically to address all matters of public interest.
>
>
> e. To cooperate with institutions and individuals rendering services to the
> people in the constituency with the view to enhance their efforts.
>
>
> f. To be accessible to the people in the constituency at all times knowing
> fully that one is elected to be their ears, eyes and mouths in the National
> Assembly.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Issued by The Central Committee
>
> P.D.O.I.S. P.O. Box 2306
>
> Serrekunda
>
> Tel: 393177. Fax: 393177
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Jabou Joh wrote:
>
> > The Coalition wrote:
> > >
> > > Having consulted the Coalition membership at the grassroots and
> following
> > > advice received from the bulk of our members, it has been concluded by
> them
> > > that they cannot compete with non-Gambians for the election of
> > > representatives to the National Assembly. The UDP will not participate
> in
> > > the forthcoming National Assembly elections and subsequent elections be
> it
> > > local government, presidential or otherwise until such a time that the
> > > register of voters is revamped and the number of aliens expunged there
> > > from.  The UDP led Coalition hopes that a new code of conduct for
> elections
> > > based on the performance of a truly Independent Electoral Commission
> would
> > > be worked out jointly by all stakeholders, and when real Gambians and
> not
> > > aliens will be able to select leaders of their choice.
> > >
> >
> > Bravo!
> >
> > It is about time that people, especially the opposition parties in The
> Gambia
> > stopped giving legitimacy to the facade of a "normal electoral process"
> when
> > what is unfolding in our country is far from it.
> >  I also hope that the other opposition parties will stop doing what the
> > wollof call
> >
> > "metel buki jamay jakkah neh eliman ba ngi"
> >
> > and boycott this charade of an electoral process that has been an ongoing
> > clown act by the APRC and Gabriel Roberts.
> >
> > This phony act is also the reason I have decided that engaging Gassa and
> the
> > rest of the Jammeh aplogists is an exercise in futility, simply because
> these
> > guys know the truth and are just " mouth pieces" for this regime. Histoy
> will
> > place them where they belong.
> >
> > > Jabou Joh
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
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