Gambia L,
As our country prepares for Parliamentary and Presidential elections, it is
very important that all of us be aware of potential snags which can bog
down the entire election process into shambles. By now some of us may have
already sensed a conspiracy in the recent declaration by the chairman of the
IEC  Mr. Gabriel Roberts, that due to security concerns they can't honor
their promise of On the spot counting of votes. I do not think that claim
holds much water. The premise was allegedly based on the theory of violence
by party supporters. Hello, Mr. Roberts who are the real perpetrators of
violence? We should all have known that by now, haven't We? The APRC
leadership preach peace daily whilst they don't show political tolerance for
their adversaries. Look at what happened in Baddibou when the opposition
party retained that seat, few days later the elected NAM member's uncle was
fired as the village Alkalo and we haven't heard incidence of violence from
Kiang where the opposition failed to reclaim the seat.

A nation should be governed by laws but since there is a breakdown of law
and order in the Gambia where checks and balances which were in the books
are being assaulted day by day mostly by Judges who will stop at nothing in
suppressing justice to save their own skins. For the mere fact that Yaya
Jammeh is a stake holder in the election should not have given any advice to
the IEC as clearly stated by the IEC chairman. If there is fair justice in
the courts of the Gambia, this is a case for conflict of interest. Mr.
Roberts, if I were you, I would have resigned and protect my integrity
rather than be used like an Instrument of Fraud.You should think about how
history will judge you in your own country. You aided and abetted in the
stealing of last election after which you were fired and now the government
in the face of an impending political death has once again recalled you to
steal for them.

One mind boggling question I must ask Mr. Roberts is: Will there be a total
electricity blackout in the Gambia on election night or not? If you can
answerthat specific  question with absolute certainty then perhaps, just
perhaps
wemay have some slight chance of accepting your premise but if you can't
answer this question, you should revisit your idea of counting at District
headquarters as opposed to polling stations. This government must never be
trusted in transportation of ballot boxes on the cover of darkness. There
are very high chances that they could tamper with these  ballots either
enroute or at counting sites.

There is one scenario which must be taken seriously and that is the
possibility of total blackout in the Gambia at the times of counting at
various centres across the country, therefore I think it will be a good idea
if members of this forum who are opposition symphatisers could use some of
the contributions collected in the purchasing of LANTERNS for standby use at
counting centres should we be faced by that problem.This suggestion will be
contingent upon the IEC's refusal to a change of decision on the matter.
Lastly, but not the least is the declaration by Yaya of the repealing of
Decree 89.We welcome it but let us celebrate yet because there are other
issues to be dealt with such as opening polls to international observers and
release of all political prisoners.I hope this initiative will be followed
by more political tolerance by the government.

Thanks,
Mori Kebba Jammeh

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