This is pathetic and a clear example of a situation where the inmates are
running the asylum. I can see the hands of Pap Cheyassin Secka written all
over the sacking of the IEC commissioners. Secka is a sore loser who will do
anything to defeat his opponents (real or imagined). This is nothing but
vindictiveness. I am glad that things back-fired this way in the face of
that Johnson character at the IEC. This is what people that deal with the
Devil, get. Members of the opposition should show no mercy to Johnson.
Reports am reading from the newspapers are a bit fuzzy. But what is clear to
me is that Johnson was part and parcel  of the delay tactics and fraud Yaya
and his cohorts were engaged in. As a matter of fact, Johnson did not even
ask for what he got from the court. According to reports, Johnson also
bought into the nonsense that the current laws (as they are in the books) do
not allow for local government elections. Hence his decision to go to court
to try and force new legislation. Let us stop here and ask ourselves why
Johnson and his lawyers did not decipher that the current laws permit them
to hold elections. Even if we give them benefit of the doubt and assume that
they were not confident about their legal interpretations, why did they not
ask the court to declare that the current laws are sufficient and the
National Assembly need not pass any legislation? So, had Johnson not put
this stumbling block in front of us, we would have had elections since
November 16, 2000, using existing laws. As I mentioned before, in Johnson,
we are either dealing with a highly incompetent or corrupt person. If he was
smart, he would have realized that he does not need the National Assembly to
hold elections. Or maybe he realized that, but wanted to thwart the will of
the people by putting our fate into the hands of a corrupt, APRC dominated
chamber. Weeks ago when this same Johnson came up with those ridiculous (and
undemocratic) rules to govern the campaign in the Sami elections, we cried
foul and asked Johnson where he got those rules from in light of his claim
that he was waiting for the Assembly to act or the court to make a
declaration. Needless to say, Johnson could not reconcile the double
standards. This man will not hesitate to usurp the democratic rights of
citizens that are guaranteed in our Constitution (freedom of speech and
assembly), but when it came to safeguarding constitutionally guaranteed
rights (right to elect local representatives), he defers to those shameless
APRC rubber-stamps that call themselves legislators. People like Johnson and
that Jasseh fellow that was fired from the Police, want to have their cake
and eat it. We must not allow that. They should either be with the people or
with the tormentor of the people (Yaya and Pap Cheyassin Secka). I vow not
to allow these slimy characters to sit on the fence. Just look at the
shameless pandering Jasseh was engaged in (denouncing Karamba) not knowing
that Sankung (his boss) has already sealed his fate. But that is another
topic. Going back to Johnson, I think the opposition should condemn the
firings as a matter of principle. The principle being, the government should
not interfere in the workings of an autonomous Independent Electoral
Commission. I think it would be a mistake to fight for the personality
involved. We should be fighting for the Office. Johnson was not fired
because he was fighting for us (the people). Johnson was fired because Pap
Cheyassin Secka lost a case. The only people that should come out good here,
are the judges that gave Johnson and the people something Johnson did not
ask for. I hope by praising the judges Yaya will not fire them. This is
pathetic and would have been laughable if we were not dealing with people's
livelihood.. Pap Cheyassin Secka is leading Yaya to the gallows. Mark my
words. When Secka lost the Darboe case, he hoodwinked Yaya and blamed
everything on the magistrate and the poor magistrate was fired. Yaya, being
the moron he is, did not even ask Secka why Darboe is still not in jail
despite the firing of the magistrate. Why did the High court not overturn
the magistrate? How is Secka going to deal with defense attorney calls for a
jury trial? The problem is not with Isatou Wadda, Borry Touray or Johnson.
Secka and the indefensible postures of this illegal government, are the
problem. Secka is the one manipulating Yaya and advising him to fire all
these people. He goes to Yaya with bogus legal advise and assurances he
cannot back up in court. When he loses, he blames it on the judiciary. He
will continue to lose. The major lost that will finally lead to his demise
and that of Yaya, should be the passing of the constitutional amendments.
The amendments aimed at curtailing the rights of ordinary Gambians, are
intolerable. The opposition should fight this outside of the parliament.
They should mobilize their supporters to take Secka and Yaya down if the
shameless duo want to continue taking away our rights. Alternatively, as
soon as the corrupt APRC Assembly pass the laws, legal actions should be
brought against the government to strike down those laws. Yaya and his
cohorts should be fought all the way. We should not appease any of them.
People should either be on the offense (against the people) or on the
defense (for the people). No one should be allowed to be on the fence.
Having said that, if people realize (albeit belatedly) that Yaya is actually
the Devil incarnate, and decide to repent and join the opposition, we should
welcome them provided their hands are not tainted with the blood of our
children that were murdered on April 10 and 11.
KB
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