Mr. Dampha, thanks for those sensible comments. I will answer some of your questions when i am ready with my next article "Voting and counting process in last presidential election." Lamin PF Manneh >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Yahya CANNOT rig voting and counting >Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 12:45:43 EDT > >Well, sorry to butt in Mr. Manneh (I saw that you addressed your piece to >Ebrima Ceesay). Thank you for a well thought out piece. It came up with >some >practical measures to ensure a level playing field for the next election >cycle. I hope the opposition parties pay attention to some of your >suggestions. I like your magic (indelible) ink that seems to cure almost >all >the ills that were present during the former regime's elections. Although I >think that your title is a bit misleading, I think I can live with it. >However, I would like to point out to you that votes are not rigged >(manipulated) solely on election day. The period leading to the elections >is >equally (if not more) important. It is worst to intimidate people to vote >for you than to buy their votes to prevent them from voting against you. I >do not condone either practice. So, the structures you cited are well and >good for monitoring voting on election day. But do these safeguards >guarantee a voting free from rigging? You also went through the dangerous >path of comparing the situation during the Jawara regime to what obtained >during the last election in order to rationalize the role of the elections >commission. You gave the commission a clean bill of health by rhetorically >asking why no one sued them in court. That same logic can be turned around >thus: if the old system was so rotten, why did no court overturn election >victories on behalf of PPP, PDOIS or NCP after the 1992 elections? If PPP >was so versed in the tactics you said were taking place in Banjul and >Serrekunda, why didn't they use those tactics against Dembo in Bakau or >Gibou Jagne in Serrekunda West? If the registration of alien voters was so >rampant why didn't parties use the existing laws to successfully challenge >the illegal registration of voters? Again, I hold no brief for the PPP >regime. As I said yesterday, the PPP regime is a dismal failure. Gambians >should expect more from Yaya and his cohorts. It is no excuse that one is >doing slightly better than one was doing during the PPP regime. We should >aim higher and do lot better. If we should be contented with the status quo >ante or slightly better, then there is no justification for change from the >Jawara days and Yaya and his gang should be booted out. All participants in >the coming elections should ensure that before they go around legitimizing >Yaya, they should ensure that there is a level playing field. Otherwise, >boycott the elections and isolate Yaya further. Makes it easier for us to >pounce on him. Grasping at justifications such as tribalism in order to >rationalize Yaya's victory does not cut it. Too much is made of the TV, >radio and newspapers. How many Gambians are literate or have access to >electricity? What is more important is to give opposition leaders free >access to their constituents to conduct rallies without intimidation; >showcase the brutality and corruption of this illegal regime without fear >for ones life. Intimidation and general lawlessness is the problem. Gambian >voters are not stupid and they are not bigoted. If allowed to vote freely, >they will put in place a government that puts their interest paramount. So >bureaucrats and security forces should not drop the ball and then blame the >Gambian public. Please enlighten us on the structures put in place for >challenging people's eligibility to register and vote. The tokenism of >government ministers going to voting stations to test the veracity of the >electoral laws is not enough. Also tell us more about returning officers. >Just also want to point out that computers are operated by the same >potentially corrupt human beings that gather data in a manual system. >Finally, I would respectfully urge advocates of elections and well-meaning >Gambians to ignore self-promoters on this List and scrutinize what Mr. >Manneh wrote and see if they can improve on the good practical suggestions >he gives. I for one do not believe that Yaya and his gang are capable of >ensuring a free and fair elections in The Gambia. But the significance of >the debate we on the List contribute to our national development goes >without saying. Anyone that doubts me should just read the local >newspapers. >This is not a knock on the brave journalists on the ground. We know that >you >are constrained (threatened by deportation, torture and murder). That is >why >we say things here that no sane person (that does not want to commit >suicide) back home would hesitate saying. We will continue to showcase the >brutality of this regime and pursue all avenues to rid our country of the >cancer in the person of Yaya. >KB > > >>From: Lamin Manneh PF <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Yahya CANNOT rig voting and counting >>Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 00:45:30 PDT >> >>Ebrima, i want to tell your secret informer that Yahya and his men cannot >>rig voting and counting process in The gambia due to the high level of >>transparency and constant surveillance mounted by all the political >>parties >>involve. >>The military junta really tried to cheat using the methods used by the >>defunct PPP and NCP but all the "Tapaley" doors were closed by PIEC before >>the election took place. The PIEC conducted a study of how the former >>regime >>carefully arranged their dishonesty to victory in opposition strong hold >>areas and came up with very good solutions. >>Here are some of the election frauds during the PPP regime and what PIEC's >>deterrent measures were. >>1. Double or more voting by an individual within and/or another >>constituency. This was common in the Kombos and Greater Banjul Area where >>transportation is easy and not everybody know each other. So one can vote >>for OJ in all the polling stations in Bundum and travel to Pirang, Kombo >>East, and vote for Lamin Kitty Jabang without being detected. PIEC --- put >>Indelible ink on everybody's tomb after voting >>2. Double registration in different constituencies: Common areas- Banjul >>and >>the Badibus, Serrekunda and the Fonis, Brikama and the Kiangs. PIEC : >>Control registration and use of indelible ink >>3. Suppress supplementary Registration in opposition strong hold areas and >>secretly register families of PPP militants, Saffelo, Alkalo and top civil >>servants. Common places: Anywhere the opposition poses threat. PIEC - >>There >>was no supplementary registration before last presidential election >>4. Meddle with the manual voter register: PIEC- Computerised Head Register >>controlled by United Nations contract staff. >>5. Buying votes from poor opposition families. PIEC- No control >>6. Registration of aliens. Common in Serrekunda, Banjul, Western Division >>and the Fulladus(both East and West). PIEC- The registration officials >>contracted by the PIEC were very competent, honest, brave and responsible >>young men and women. They strictly work according to the ethics of their >>duty and refused to register anybody who did not have proper paper works >>and >>the approval of the elders. The following people were not issued with >>voter's card at the registration grounds: Sankung Badjie Inspector General >>of Police, Yankuba Touray Minister for Youth and Sports(both were latter >>issued after the intervention of Gibriel Robert), some close family >>members >>of President Jammeh were not registered when they refused to comply with >>PIEC regulations. Two senior PIEC officials at that center were later >>arrested and detained at Kanlagi Police Station.The former minister Kabba >>Bajo, Tominic Mendy and many senior army officers were denied the usual >>preferential treatment at registration centers and they had to joined a >>big >>line inorder to be registered. One senior registration officer almost >>exchange blows with Major Bojang in Niamina when he attempted to disrupt >>the >>registration process . So these boys were really great! >>7. Bribe registration and election duty officers. PIEC-- paid officers >>very >>well. The lowest salary rate was D95.OO a day >>As you can see, most of the cheatings were done before election and >>counting >>of votes. >> >>WHAT LED TO YAHYA'S VICTORY >>Yahya Jammeh and his political adversers after knowing that they cannot >>twist the hands of PIEC officials, resorted to the following strategy to >>win >>votes: >>1. Controlled both private and public media. UDP had no media coverage >>throughout their campaign. Radio Syd started to cover some political >>rallies >>for all political parties but they were forced to stop it immediately. >>2. Tribalism: When Yahya was fully in control of all national media >>networks, some prominent Mandinkas among his national campaign team, >>denounced their own ethnic group as selfish and tribalist people over >>Radio >>Gambia. This really boost Yahya's image among the Fulas and some wollof >>voters because Darboe has no access to the radio to refute these >>allegations. In fact before official campaign begins, i went on an >>official >>tour of over 104 villages in CRD and over 90% of voters(except the >>Saloums)were supporting Darboe. But the negative tribal comments by the >>APRC >>Mandinka Jon-o-lo attributes to Darboe's awful defeat among minority >>tribes. >>3. Intimidation. This was a very successful tool used by Jammeh. All civil >>servants of all categories were intimidated by government to vote for >>APRC. >>In Janjanbureh, Major Bojang convened a meeting in his office with all the >>heads of departments in CRD and threaten to fire anybody who supports >>Darboe. He held similar meetings with all the Alkalis and saffello(NO >>WONDER HE IS REINSTATED). Guess what this brought to Jammeh considering >>the >>extended family system in The Gambia and dependency level of the poor and >>the unemployed to these civil servants and traditional rulers. >>Ebrima, the blunt fact is that the Mandinkas(except Jarra and Kiang) who >>were actually describe as tribalist were the very people who voted Jammeh >>to >>power. Can you believe Darboe lost in Bansang Town, Sami District, Brufut, >>Pirang, etc? >>What UDP should fight now is a free and fair campaign--- equal media >>access >>by all political parties, no intimidation on civilians, Commissioners, >>Chiefs, Alikalolo and top civil servants be neutral and Ousanou should >>deploy the same die hard polling and counting agents like the Bakau women >>in >>all polling and counting centers. >> >>I will end this paper with TWO rational questions: If the votes were >>rigged, >>why nobody sue PIEC? Please give an example of at least one polling and >>counting center where voting was rigged. >>In my next article, i will briefly describe the voting and counting >>process >>of the last presidential election. >>Its too late here, have a wonderful day. >>Cheers >>Lamin PF Manneh >> >> >>________________________________________________________________________ >>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >________________________________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------