Hi Mr. Sallah, Thank you for your reply, hope your tour was a success. I want to begin by telling you that my disappointment with the PDOIS movement is not just triggered by the debates or at times verbal exchanges that you had on several instances on this forum. You have created a revolution and won this fight many times over. Then you adopted a philosophy that not only put blemishes on the revolution but serves as a deterrent to democracy. Let me begin by telling you my first encounters with you. Hopefully this will form the basis of our dialogue. It started on a podium and you presided over the dictum. Your message resonated loudly in our infantile minds. You told us to resist corruption, you condemned the actions of the ruling government and you mesmerized us with the lessons about our constitution and its application. You never claimed your movement to be a revolution, I could feel the excitement in you voice and your passion for change. Every thing about you signifies a revolution. Your humility towards life and your resistance to materialism. This form of revolution was indifference to us. We became attached to your doctrine. We became dependent on your publications and read it religiously. We admired your intelligence. You made us become you. Now you see me in your own likeness. Then came Jammeh. Isn't he one of your student's? When Jammeh came to power, PDOIS applied a new strategy. It became a subtle approach. It became a politically movement. It changed its focus from hard line to side line. You became hostile to those who question your subtle approach. You the pioneer of sociopolitical awareness and notorious among politicians for pushing accountability and transparency failed to properly put the Jammeh government through the same rigor. Why did the PDOIS agree to accept the referendum to becoming the only political party of the post Jawara era to be allowed to exist? Is it because PDOIS saw Jammeh as allies in the same struggle or as mentors. Isn't democracy for everyone to participate and has the opportunity to rule? Why did you accept such a proposal? Is it because you felt that this is your opportunity to show us all that you despise the PPP not their abuse of power. Your battle was against PPP not for a better Gambia. I am quite confident you will reply with a long laundry of the Good that PDOIS stands for and your role in it. No one can dispute your accomplishments and personal sacrifice to achieve your end in mind. What I and many others who share my feelings about you and your party is for you to continue to take a strong stand on democracy and accountability. No one wins in an environment that is sheltered by inept journalism. You have attained both regional and global recognition for the work you do. if you so desire, you can make the Jammeh government answer the questions on abuse of power and the miscarriage of justice. Inclusion, for the Gambia to attain a meaningful democracy, you must not focus you philosophy for change on the premise that Jammeh is a brain child of PDOIS, but on the principle of equal rights for all. You must perform the same quantitative analysis that you employeed in the past on Jammeh. If the outcry is for transparency and the abuse of power, then PDOIS must take a strong stand. Resorting to defensive mechanisms to justify your ideals are not only dangerous tactics but distorts our ability to apply principle in dialogue. You wrote "information is a mental food which energizes our brains", Then give us a principle that is not bias or distorted because of impartiality. Good Luck. Matarr Sajaw. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------