Saiks, I have actually seen something very similar to the parading of these armed vigilante groups (eg Sindola). A good example of this type of threatening behavior was the case of the armed "Interhamwe" groups in Rwanda. They also marched around with crude weapons, such as axes and machetes, and were what I would consider political vigilante groups. We all know what happened there and the same precedent is being set back home by allowing these morons in our independence day parade. Saiks, this information is sending shivers down my spine. Hopefully, the next elections will usher in a new period in our political history. BTW, concerning the elections, what process do we have to go through to vote in absentia? I strongly urge all members of the L and Gambians abroad to cast their votes so that we can change this alrming trend that is taking place in our country. Yus ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------