Comrade MLJ Conteh,
  Good morning to you sir. I must first say that your patriotism is very
admirable because you've reminded us many times that not only do you talk
the talk but walk the walk. Believe it or not some of us are likewise. But
I can only speak for myself at this point. Here is my dilemma:I have a $50
bill on one hand and a blank check on the other. Maybe with  $0.33 I can
buy a stamp and mail that to brother Sambou. No sweat there. However, with
the blank check, I intend to be very generous so I'm not going to disclose
the amount.You want details, fine, let's just say it will be over a $1,000
and I'm bluffing because the money is not an issue for me. The issue is,
does it make sense to send all that money to opposition parties to split
or does it make more sense to  give it to the party that stands a better
chance of winning based on what we know already? Ideally, for me and I'm
sure many others,it would be witnessing history for me to write this blank
check I'm holding to a United Oposition Party in the truest sense of the
term collectiveness, which some of us tend to us not in it's purest from.

If these people truely wants to lead us in the interest of all and sundry,
then why can't they put their differences aside and work for an amicable
compromise that will gurantee all and sundry a decisive victory over APRC,
especially when it seems suicidal at this stage for any single opposition
party to assume they can win on their own. If they have that much
confidence in themselves then they need not solicit funds from us because
the bottomline is they have no business, in the first place, running for
an election knowing they lack sufficient funds. That doesn't speak well
of any party with a desire not to just contest but win. We need winners.
Because guess what, now the burden is on us to try to raise the funds for
them. So if that's where it is now, then we,the concerned gambians, should
be calling the shots. That means they should not only consider our viable
proposal for a united opposition party, but endorse it instead. That is
what I mean by an amicable compromise. I've yet to hear a genuine rebuttal
for them not making this viable idea a reality us all. One starts to
wonder if our so-called party leaders are after their own politic
aspirations and not interested in what is in the best interest of the
gambian people. Truth is we can't afford another term from Yahya Jammeh.
Why wait till now only to realise that their funds are limited. Gambia-L
was here how many years and months back and so were we, so why come to
us now. It doesn't speak well for a potential candidate. I hate to bore
you to death but this is my dilemma, brother Comrade MLJ Conteh. So there
you have it. I have a blank check which will soon be payable to: UNITED
OPPOSITION PARTY, Banjul, The Gambia. But I do have a $50 bill if you
insist that you have a better idea to our dilemma.

                                                     Naphiyo to you sir,
                                                     Mr Makaveli.

PS: I know some of you are saying, George just send in your doggone $50
bill.Maybe I'm dead wrong and should just send it, I don't know.

From: MLJ Conteh <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: ELECTION FUND UPDATE
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: May 12, 2001


Brother Joe:

I want to take this time in thanking you on the weekly
update for the election fund drive.  Your persistence
will pay off one day.

I must admit that this week has been interesting on the
L.  We have spent valuable time debating about the
Touray debacle.  I just cannot believe most of the
comrades in support of the UDP expulsion of Hon. Touray
have not yet contributed to the fund drive.  I wonder
why all the talk and no action.

We just cannot exhibit intellectual know how without
sacrificing few dollars to our struggle.  These actions
my some of the comrades clearly indicate an agency
theory.  We are determined to maximize the profits (win)
of the opposition, but some of us are bent of the desire
of individualism.

Dr. Saine indicated that he would call friends who still
have not contributed to our fund drive.  I therefore want
to borrow a page from him and call on the following
people to send in their contributions: Messrs Lamin Manneh,
Kebba Dampha, Sanusi Owens, Bamba Laye Jallow, Yahya
Darboe, Momodou Olly Mboge, Hamjatta Kanteh and the rest
of the gang.  We must match our intellectual zeal with
our pockets.  We just cannot do the talk and don't
do the walk.  I therefore urge the above to send in their
contributions.  We can only be serious about our
opposition to the dictatorship in The Gambia when we are
willing to contribute.

Please leave your address on the next weekly update.  I
will be sending in my monthly unspent miscellaneous
expense.  I am budgeting to deduct a $10 weekly personal
expense for the fund drive initiative.

Naphiyo,

Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh

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