Buharry:

I really agree with the gist of your argument that NADD needs to factor in the legal quagmire that some of their leaders are in. But, I am also of the belief that if Jammeh is able and successfully send these NADD leaders and get away with it; it is a done deal that whoever is the NADD candidate Jammeh will out right steal the elections and nothing will come out of it. In fact, sending the NADD leaders to Mile 2   and getting away with it is all part of stealing the elections. Bottom line , NADD will have to throw the gauntlet somewhere to fight for a free and fair elections. The legal battle should be a good start; therefore not selecting one of them because of the bogus charges does not send the right signal that they are not going to take anything less than a free and fair election.. As for selecting an  outsider, I will definitely support it  but for a different reason.

I thank you

Mus aJEng

> From: Momodou Buharry Gassama <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2006/01/22 Sun PM 05:51:07 EST
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: NADD or the Birth Throes of a Political Alliance
> 
> Hi Sidibeh!
>                  I agree with what you and others have illustrated here 
> regarding the need for an outside figure to lead NADD. I must admit that I 
> was taken aback when I read that people within the NADD executive were the 
> ones who were nominated to lead the party. I thought throughout that someone 
> outside and neutral was being considered. Despite the fact that those 
> nominated have the charisma and clout, it would be a terrible mistake on the 
> part of NADD to choose any of them given that they have some form of legal 
> process hanging over them.  I have argued this in private since I learnt of 
> the nominations and I think it is Bailo who alluded to this earlier today. 
> If either O.J., Halifa or Hamat are chosen as flagbearers, the government is 
> going to delay their case until the elections are near, convict them and 
> thus disqualify them from standing as presidential candidates. NADD would 
> have little time to present another candidate to the people. With Justice 
> Paul handling the case, a conviction would be as easy as 123. If Darboe is 
> chosen as the presidential candidate, the government's appeal against the 
> dismissal of his murder case would be accepetd given the recent strategic 
> judicial reassignments. This would also make it easy for the government to 
> tender a guilty charege against Darboe and disqualify him at the last 
> moment. It is therefore imperative that those currently nominated follow 
> Halifa's example and choose someone on whose neck legal threats are not 
> hanging. Given the provisions of the MOU especially the term limitation 
> clause, I don't understand why career politicians within NADD would want to 
> lead it now given that they would not be able to participate after five 5 
> years. I am therefore appealing to all concerened to think strategically and 
> selflessly and put the interests of the country first. This is the best 
> opportunity the opposition has. If this opportunity is squandered, all I can 
> say is "Lord have mercy on The Gambia." Thanks and have a good evening.
>                                                                              
>                                                                              
>                                                          Buharry.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 11:09 PM
> Subject: Re: NADD or the Birth Throes of a Political Alliance
> 
> 
> > Dearest Mo,
> >
> > Your write-up cannot possibly be bettered. I must admit though, that I 
> > stubbornly maintain an unchararteristic optimistic gait, perhaps purely 
> > for self preservation.
> >
> > I simply revel in the wisdom of your last paragraph: "Maybe NADD should 
> > get a birth attendant; an outside candidate who may just help us all 
> > deliver the country from the grasp of a dictator". This should not be a 
> > MAYBE.
> > NADD does not have the time nor the luxury to fall victim to a miasma of 
> > unhealed open sores of past rivalries and conflict, and it might just be 
> > shooting itself in the foot if a flag-bearer is to emerge from within the 
> > ranks of its own executive committee. In supporting your position, I 
> > firmly believe that NADD must choose a figure outside the current 
> > political line-up, someone who has no open allegiance to any of its 
> > constituent parties; an independent-minded and charismatic icon, able to 
> > exercise authority in implemeting NADD's program for the interim five-year 
> > period before gracefully retiring from overseeing a transtition into a 
> > democratic and open political era. Hassan Musa Camara, doctors Lenrie 
> > Peters, or Ebrahima Samba, and a handful of other respectables, seem all 
> > to be capable of delivering the country from its present torpor.
> >
> > Given the history of poltical organisation in Gambia, it would be almost 
> > naive to think that an outfit like NADD should contest elections without 
> > going through internal upheavals the likes of which we are witnessing. On 
> > the other hand the very spirit of national healing and sacrifice that 
> > brought the opposition under one umbrella in the first place, must 
> > continue to be the rallying cry by which leaders must address the genuine 
> > concerns and grievances of their constituencies, putting aside private 
> > sentiments about disproportionate sacrifice, for the greater national 
> > good.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Momodou S Sidibeh
> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L 
> > Web interface
> > at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html
> >
> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: 
> > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
> > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 
> 
> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html
> 
> To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
> [log in to unmask]
> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
> 

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤