>From: Ndembos Singhateh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Attn: Pa Small.l
>Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 15:01:13 +0000
>
>From: [log in to unmask]
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>, [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Article on Dibba -a reaction Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 20:11:54 EST
>>
>>Subj: Re: AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON SHERIFF DIBBAS ALLIANCE WITH APRC
>>Date:
>>08/01/02 13:53:32 GMT Standard Time From: MSAWANAH To: Bob6772
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Momodou Lamin Sawaneh
>>
>>Reaction to Gambia L article.
>>
>>I read your article on the above subject matter but I found it difficult
>>to
>>understand the purpose of writing such an article. By reading the article,
>>I could not see to which audience it is directed . It did not help me in
>>anyway to get an understanding of why Dibba took the decision of this
>>nature. The story is not the least articulate and much more disappointing
>>of all is that the writer could not provide a reasonable and attainable
>>solution to the present political dilema in Gambian politics , if any. He
>>criticised and blamed all the parties except for PDOIS which he described
>>as credible in one of his remarks.
>>
>>I think people should be reasonable when they are talking about politics
>>in
>>any form being national or international politics. We have to give proper
>>historical background to situations and corroborate with the present
>>developments and then suggest solutions which can be of value to the
>>players on the ground. This attitude of condemning everybody and
>>everything
>>without providing any solution of your own does not help any Gambian no
>>matter on what side of the coin we are. And unless there is fundamental
>>change in attitudes we would certainly get nowhere. I found out that the
>>people that the writer is criticising are even better than him. This is
>>for
>>the simple fact that those politicians have pointed out why they are
>>taking
>>such decisions which to some extent have been dictated by the realities on
>>the ground.
>>
>>It is very clear to everyone with a sense of history that Dibba has been
>>fighting elections in this country since 1976 when he left the PPP. There
>>was no proper organisation that was donating any money to his party and
>>many Gambian intellectuals who were interested in politics were joining
>>the
>>ruling party in order to get ministerial positions even though they new
>>quite well that the government was corrupt. The party to some extent was
>>being funded by few people and Dibba's personal efforts to a certain
>>degree.
>>
>>Here is a man who sacrificed all kinds of jobs and pleasures that you and
>>I
>>would may not want to do today. He was arrested and detained in 1981 for
>>almost 9 months for a crime he never committed until he lost his seat in
>>Central Baddibou. Many of his supporters were dragged from Baddibous and
>>Bakau to various detention camps with the intention of killing his party
>>and to demoralise and discredit him as a political figure. A lot of
>>innocent peole died in those detention camps. Despite all that mental and
>>physical torture, he made a comeback and regained his seat in 1992.
>>
>>There is no Gambian politician who has been detained for his political
>>beliefs to the extent of Dibba, there is no Gambian politician who had
>>suffered defeats in the polls than Dibba and there is no Gambian
>>politician
>>who sacrificed anything for political opposition than Dibba and yet this
>>is
>>the man that the new opposition parties or writers are saying didnot
>>sacrifice enough. What do they want him to do?
>>
>>
>>We all agree that there is no violent solution to The Gambian political
>>question. If Dibba realised that earlier than you and I , and decided to
>>wait for the real democratic process to come and go back to the Gambian
>>people to seek their mandate, why should we think that he is wrong in
>>doing
>>that. If the decrees were not meant to be obeyed, why did n't we ask
>>Jawara
>>to go back home and contest the 1996 elections. He and other politicians
>>had the opportunity to defy the decrees and return home.They would have
>>sacrificed their lives and be called national heroes by now.
>>
>>Why did they wait for the political amnesty before they could not return
>>home as private individuals? Why did the Gambians go to the polls even
>>though the government that organised the elections was described as
>>illegitimate? Above all why did the Gambian people respect the verdict of
>>the polls in both 1996 and 2001? Why didn't every Gambian boycott the
>>elections in 1996 for the reason that decrees were still in place?
>>
>>It is sad to mention but most of us who are meant to comprehend what
>>democracy is all about are the people who unfortunately are more confused
>>about democratic process.
>>
>>The 2001 polls were free and fair and the Gambian people who went to the
>>polls decided to renew their confidence in Jammeh government. They have
>>their own reasons for giving him the mandate to govern them for another
>>five years and by respecting the verdict of over 52% of the electorates is
>>what democracy is all about and not about writing high sounding phrases
>>about the people and the political players. It is quite difficult to be
>>realistic when you are defeated at the polls by such magnitude but unless
>>we accept realities at the right time, this small nation will go nowhere
>>in
>>terms of development.
>>
>>Even though Yaya has lot of problems particularly in the area of human
>>rights, nobody has the right to tell the Gambian people that they have
>>voted for the wrong person and they should take other measures to reverse
>>their decision. Are we advocating that all Gambians should keep away from
>>anything to do with the government whether developmental or otherwise and
>>let Yaya and his supporters do it? If the answer is yes, then we are all
>>narrow minded.
>>
>>The governpment is not Yaya government but a government that represents
>>all
>>Gambian people and for that reason whoever feels that despite his or her
>>political beliefs, would want to participate in the development process of
>>the country, should only be encouraged. The government is not anybody's
>>personal property and it should never be seen be allowed to be seen to be
>>that. If it clear that this is the attitude that Yaya has , we deserve the
>>right to tell him that he is wrong and suggest tangible solutions to him.
>>You can still be participating in the government and bring about positive
>>changes. The case of Abdoulaye Wade and Co is too recent to forget. He
>>served in the government of Joof so many times as a cabinet minister to
>>contribute his bit in the national development process and this also
>>enabled him to gain the most needed administrative experience. But this
>>did
>>not prevent him from contesting and winning the election when the people
>>who matter wanted him to rule them instead of Joof.
>>
>>We can make our country a better place if we should learn how to go by the
>>verdict of the people as dictated by the basic tenents of democracy we are
>>preaching. It is our responsibility to join hands with whoever is in power
>>to develop our country , if we are given the opportunity to so. I do not
>>therefore see the need to discourage Dibba to participate in a government
>>of his country if the authorities need him. He can only be encouraged.
>>
>>The country belongs to all of us and it requires the input of everyone.We
>>should be around and within to tell Yaya what is wrong and what is
>>correct.
>>It is not a law in politics that you should always fight to gain power
>>from
>>outside. You can also participate meaningfully in the developement process
>>of your country from within. Lenin (the great Russian leader) told us that
>>if you cannot defeat them, join them. If you start a journey and the
>>realities show you that you cannot complete it, the basic common sense
>>will
>>tell you that you should return to where you started.
>>
>>Yaya needs to be assisted by enlightened and experienced individuals and
>>he
>>needs to be told the truth at all times. He should not be left to be
>>surrounded by individuals who would only tell him what he wants to hear.
>>His pledge for reconciliation and forgiveness is probably a step in this
>>direction. He probably wants the much needed people around to help the
>>country achieve its target in terms of economic growth and political
>>evolution.
>>
>>There is nothing that prevents us from maintaining our parties and still
>>giving helping hand to the government . Any improvement in the Gambia in
>>terms of the economy will go into uplifting the living standards of the
>>ordinary poor. This is a joint responsibility and history will hold
>>responsible if we should turn a blind eye to it for the fact that we hate
>>the system. The issue of poverty alleviation and rural development is not
>>a
>>concept that came with Yaya and it would continue to be so even after him.
>>
>>Let us be assessing ourselves as to the contribution we are making to move
>>our country forward. Even if you are in opposition, what contributions are
>>you making to sustain the party you support. It is sad that most of us who
>>write big essays in the net are doing nothing practically to support even
>>the party we tend to sympathise with. This does not help.
>
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