Is that all you can come up with? Apparently you don't seem to have any
opinion of your own. I wish you the best of luck, brother; Idon't usually
waste my time with the likes of you. Take care.

Have a good day, Gassa.

>From: baboucar kolley <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Of goats and politics - part 3.
>Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 20:41:24 -0500
>
>How pitiful. Is this your special assignment to save your skin from the
>wrath of BIG SAITAN YAYA? What a bunch of BULL!
>No matter how you try to tenderize this meat, it's rotten, rotten and
>rotten. You can't cook it any better. Food for maggots and you are their
>boss. Just eat the rot and don't try to pass it on please. We know better.
>
>Babou
>
>>From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Of goats and politics - part 3.
>>Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 17:34:59 +0000
>>
>>The AFPRC having dissected and scrutinized every facet of the PPP regime
>>announced a series of development projects that almost nobody believed
>>achievable. The most significant of all the projects at the time, as far
>>as
>>I was concerned, was their commitment to invest heavily in the public
>>media.
>>Within a few weeks radio Kombo began regular broadcasts in the Greater
>>Banjul Area and was to soon begin broadcasting nationwide. This was later
>>followed by a national TV service.
>>
>>They effectively used the public media to showcase the blatant corruption
>>and misrule of the government they overthrew. They made sure that every
>>Gambian knew about all the corrupt practices of the former government and
>>how they’ve come to redeem us. They were actively aided in this by calls
>>from the deposed regime for sanctions to be applied on the Gambia and
>>threats by some members of the international community to cut off aid.
>>
>>When the USAID pulled out of the country and the infamous British travel
>>advice brought our tourism industry crashing within 48 hours, most
>>Gambians
>>rallied behind the government as most thought that our ultimate survival
>>as
>>a nation was at stake. Some of those opposed to the AFPRC regime did not
>>help either. False rumours were being circulated that the government was
>>near bankrupt and that salaries will not be paid after six months. From
>>then
>>on it was very simple making the majority of Gambians to believe that all
>>our woes were the work of former president Jawara and his corrupt
>>officials
>>in a bid to come back to power. This, most Gambians were not prepared to
>>have.
>>
>>It seems that the former regime seriously underestimated the power of the
>>media particularly the radio and television. If only they had developed
>>this
>>during the first republic and used it effectively for civic education or
>>to
>>explain to the Gambian people what plans they had for the country perhaps
>>the coupe could have been averted. But no, they ruled us without having to
>>fully explain anything to us. They imposed on us policies that drove us to
>>near destitution without explaining the rational behind them. They imposed
>>on us the 10% national development levy that nobody seems to know where
>>all
>>those monies went, imposed the ERP that brought so much hardship to the
>>people without bothering to explain it to us, sold the GPMB, crucified our
>>river transport etc, etc. (Like how some are obsessed with the human
>>rights
>>abuse of this regime, that is how passionately I feel about the demise of
>>our river transport system).
>>
>>Throughout those trying times the government remained defiant and appealed
>>to the people to remain calm and that God was on our side. Many began to
>>express concern over the attitude of the regime especially Yahya Jammeh’s
>>defiance of the international community. I was one of many who thought
>>that
>>he was very crude and that we deserved a more refined leader who could woo
>>our development partners to come to our aid. However this view was soon to
>>evaporate when during this period Jawara infuriated many when he is heard
>>on
>>the various radio stations insisting that his overthrow was illegitimate
>>and
>>that the international community should do something to restore his
>>legitimate government back to power. Such calls for his restoration, when
>>most Gambians believed that he had overstayed his welcome in State House
>>significantly increased support for the AFPRC. Many of us who, earlier had
>>reservations about the sincerity of the regime were soon to begin
>>trumpeting
>>their cause; especially when in answering a question posed by a Senegalese
>>journalist as to whether he would be willing, as a compromise, to lead a
>>three to six month transition government leading to elections that he
>>would
>>not contest, he (Jawara) was alleged to have insisted that the overthrow
>>of
>>his government was illegitimate, plain and simple. He is said to have
>>insisted that the international community had a moral obligation to
>>restore
>>his legitimate government and that if it could be done in Haiti, why not
>>in
>>Gambia where a small band of army boys were imposing their will on the
>>Gambian people. When I heard this, I said that’s it old Pa. I hope you
>>don’t
>>come back.
>>
>>As the weeks turned to months and there was no sign of outside
>>intervention
>>and the AFPRC continued to tell the people that despite the efforts of the
>>enemies of the country to see them fail, they were going to deliver all
>>that
>>they promised the people including the restoration of the country to
>>democratic civilian rule. In those days hardly a fortnight passes without
>>the commissioning or initiation of a development project.  During those
>>trying times Lt. Jammeh and his other council members waded through pools
>>of
>>water and in the rain to meet the people. Thus they identified themselves
>>with the suffering of the people and continued to explain to the people
>>that
>>they were “soldiers with a difference” whose only motive for seizing power
>>was to save our country from sinking and to develop it. In all the places
>>they went they asked the communities to tell them their problems for they
>>will not be able to help them solve their problems if they didn’t know
>>them.
>>In most of these communities requests were made for the provision of basic
>>things like markets, water, telephones, roads, schools, ambulances,
>>clinics,
>>etc., etc. In most cases they would tell them that while not making them
>>definite promises, they would surely look into your problems. During the
>>two-year transition period they delivered almost all that they had
>>promised
>>the people. Communities throughout the country had markets, schools,
>>university, car parks, clinics, roads, bridges, wells, watering holes,
>>telephones, a national radio and television, new airport terminal,
>>hospitals, energy, etc., etc. As development project after development
>>project are successfully implemented throughout the country, these are
>>elaborately covered by GRTS.
>>
>>Having elaborated, from my own perspective, how the previous government
>>played its role in putting in place this government, how the international
>>community and some members of the former regime (including ex-president
>>Jawara) helped to rally most of the population behind the AFPRC and how
>>the
>>AFPRC effectively took every advantage that came its way by effectively
>>using the public media, I will next elaborate on the role played by the
>>opposition, particularly the UDP, in consolidating the AFPRC/APRC rule.
>>
>>Have a good day, Gassa.
>>
>>
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