Thanks Buharry, and I join you in your call for NRP to also stand up against this lawlessness. KB >From: MOMODOU BUHARRY GASSAMA <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Police Refuse To Give Us Permit For Meetings >Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 15:29:16 +0200 > >Hi Kebba! > While agreeing with most of what you said in this >posting, >I would like to buttress your argument that the opposition parties should >refuse to participate in the coming elections if the playing field is not >level. The other parties should not take comfort in the fact that >conditions >have not yet been laid on them because the campaign has not started in >earnest. I am glad that PDOIS has reacted and I hope NRP will follow suit. >Thanks. > >Buharry. >----- Original Message ----- >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 8:52 PM >Subject: Re: Police Refuse To Give Us Permit For Meetings > > > > Saul and Comrade, am glad about your contributions on the above topic. >It >is > > always with reluctance that I speak on such issues. To me, this is a >very > > serious issue; coming in the immediate aftermath of reports that UDP > > supporters were attacked by July 22nd members in Brikama, and one of the >UDP > > supporters was in coma. If the trend is not clear to the naked eyes of > > elections proponents, then God help us. Ebrima Ceesay puts it best by >saying > > that Yaya is the one soliciting trouble for himself. What are people >waiting > > for to be really outraged? For Yaya to murder Ousainou Darboe and ban >his > > party? For Yaya to dissolve parliament, suspend the Constitution and >declare > > another state of emergency? When I read Ousainou Darboe's reaction to >the > > letter from Sankung (the IGP), I detected the cries of a man who is fast > > realizing the hopeless of the battle political parties are fighting in > > Gambia today. Sankung was in effect telling Darboe that they can >NOLONGER > > hold political rallies. NEVER EVER. I am reproducing Sankung's letter >here > > for people that missed the first one and the one from Kabir. Pay >particular > > attention to Sankung's second reason for denying them permission to hold >the > > rally: > > > > > > "I am directed to inform you that your application has not been approved >due > > to the fact that: > > > > a) The UDP have been violating the conditions attached to the approved > > permits. > > > > b) From the police view, UDP political rallies always violate conditions >of > > the Public Order Act, by using abusive words on government authorities >or > > individuals within the government. > > > > There is already an alleged criminal charge for murder against the party > > leader Mr. Ousainou Darboe and 24 others and the case is before the High > > Court. > > > > The application for a permit for the use of public address system at >mass > > rally at the Sixth Junction near to Serrekunda Primary slated for >Saturday > > 15th July 2000 will not be considered until you are prepared to comply >with > > the conditions attached to permits as stipulated under the Public Order >Act. > > > > Sorry for any inconveniencies it may cause. Signed: The Inspector >General >of > > police." > > > > So, as of now, political parties cannot use abusive words against Yaya >and > > his gang? What is this? Do people still seriously think that Yaya and >his > > gang are interested in democracy? What words can you use to describe >Yaya > > and his cohorts? What would you advise Darboe to do under the >circumstances? > > Go sing Yaya's praises? Instead of holding rallies, to canvass door to >door > > and talk to people in their bedrooms where NIA agents will not hear >them? >If > > this is not a clear violation of Darboe's freedom of speech, then what >is? > > In my humble opinion, none of the above advise would be sound advise to > > Darboe. What Yaya and Co are doing right now and what Sankung's letter > > represents, is the biggest threat to our society. Yet very few people >are > > speaking out against that. Instead, they attack people with genuine > > intentions to rid us of this tyranny. Participation in elections under >these > > circumstances should be critically assessed. If one cannot reach ones > > constituents to spread ones message, then I dare say that one should not > > participate in the elections. We repeat, participation in the elections >will > > only further legitimize Yaya. Maybe, had Darboe and Co boycotted the > > previous elections, both Yaya and Guie would be left out of the OAU >Summit. > > It is not just Darboe. But everyone that thinks that our salvation lies >with > > the ballot box should speak out against this continued lawlessness and > > ensure that there is a level playing field for the next elections. >Sankung's > > casual letter to Darboe where the former apologizes to the latter for >any > > "inconveniencies" the letter may cause, says more than meet the eye. >Darboe > > recognizes that this letter has the potential of spelling disaster for >our > > country. The government wants to disenfranchise Darboe. What did we say >a > > long time ago about the bogus murder charges? Yes, it was just meant to > > silence Darboe. But we also said something else previously, and that is, >if > > the law does not provide redress for people, people take the law into >their > > own hands. These are the laws of nature, not things we are making up. So > > Sankung should apologize to the whole Gambian population for the kind of > > trouble such letters and policies can bring. The inconvenience to Darboe >and > > UDP is nothing compared to the potential repercussions of this letter. >If > > Yaya wants to create an environment whereby we are not free to exercise >our > > God given rights, then it is only natural for people to stand up and say > > enough is enough and take the law into their own hands. As Darboe >eloquently > > said, this is still an illegal government no matter how you slice it. >They > > are willing to stay in power by all means necessary. We should forget >about > > this unilateral disarmament business and take them on. Again, the >problem >is > > Yaya and the people helping him to perpetuate himself in power. Not us. >If > > people do not want anarchy and chaos to CONTINUE (because it is already > > existing in the society) they should take Yaya on and force him to >respect > > the rule of law. People always make the mistake of predicting anarchy >and > > chaos and scaring ordinary Gambians off, when they should be >concentrating > > on the CURRENT CHAOS. Yaya is already killing people, abducting people, > > forbidding politicians from reaching their supporters etc etc. Do you > > counsel that we still leave him there in order to avoid another Sierra >Leone > > or Liberia? This is a perverse argument. In the first place, we should >not > > settle for a Gambia in the state Yaya has put it. We should also not aim >for > > a situation that would be similar to what is currently happening in >Sierra > > Leone. We assure you that genuine people are working tirelessly to meet >this > > noble goal i.e. have a "Yaya-less" Gambia that will not be similar to > > Liberia or Sierra Leone. > > We urge politicians to doggedly pursue the government and challenge all >the > > brutal and illegal postures of this government. Before legitimizing the >Yaya > > regime, politicians should ensure that there is a level playing field. > > Continue to showcase the brutality of this government and help us >isolate > > them further. Yaya's days are numbered. > > I would not even waste my time on Sedat Jobe this time. The shameless >duo >of > > Jobe and Taal are beyond repair. They have landed themselves in a List I > > would not wish any Gambian to be on at this stage of the struggle. When >we > > catch up with them, they will wish they never heard the name Yaya >before. > > Taal invoked the same childish mumbo jumbo two months ago when >Commonwealth > > officials were talking about monitoring elections in Gambia. This was >also > > the same time that Jobe was lying to Wade telling the latter that Yaya >was > > not arming the Casamance rebels. At that time, they heard from us. These > > people are the laughing stock of the decent Gambian people and our >friends. > > When we catch up with them though, it will not be a laughing matter. >Even >if > > Sedat Jobe resigns today, he will not be saved. He already crossed the >line. > > Just like you cannot "unring" a bell, this man is gone. > > KB > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > 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 > > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >-- > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------