Dampha,

I agree with you entirely.  I plan to be in The Gambia to vote for the first
time, and I hope it will be for a United Opposition.  (I was too young to
vote when I left the country.) Your observation on the possible role of
former PPP politicians is to the point, regardless of whether one supports
them or not.

There are those elements like myself who would be disturbed if a United
Opposition of any kind is to be dominated by a revived PPP or its members.
That would unfortunately take much needed focus from the APRC's misrule,
especially at a time when Jammeh is illegally stacking all decks in his own
favor.  I believe the opposition leaders are quite aware of that danger.

I believe the APRC must be counting on a further balkanization of the
opposition as its strategy to renew Jammeh's lease at State House.  It's our
opportunity to see through that and evict the guy soon!

Amadou SJ

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire,
sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon
must inevitably come to pass" (J. Meyer).

But these
>unique
>qualities of the Decree 89 politicians can be offered to the current
>Opposition without asking for a leadership role in the Coalition. Again, we
>can only have one president. Most militants in these old parties can only
>hope to become parliamentarians if they want to continue to contest in
>elections. Why not support a candidate that is going to implement changes
>that will make future elections freer and fairer? After the presidential
>elections, any party can contest the parliamentary elections on their own
>if
>they so desire.
>
>The reason I will NOT support a PPP candidature is simple. We do NOT have
>time to defend the PPP record. I hasten to add that the PPP record is a
>very
>defensible record in light of Yaya’s despicable record. But why waste time
>defending something we do NOT have to defend? Let APRC defend the PPP
>record
>since they are the ones with Buba Baldeh, Fatoumata Jahumpa and others and
>they are the party that inherited the corrupt civil servants. Why NOT go
>with a candidate that has a clean record APRC CANNOT attack?

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