Halifa, Yet again you've made me proud to be Gambian and African. You've shown what leadership is all about. Now keep the heat on. Yahya has completely lost it. He is a complete moron. What is sad though is that innocent women,children,men are inevitably suffering under this uncouth buffoon. With people like you, i am optimistic that we will be free. May peace and prosperity befall my people. Prayers and sincere greetings, Mboge >From: foroyaa <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: When The Seed Of National Discord Is Sown, A Bumper >Harvest Of National Disintegration Is Reaped >Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 11:53:06 +0100 > >26 July 2000. > >President of the Republic, >State House, >Muamar Gadaffi Avenue, >BANJUL. > > >When The Seed Of National Discord Is Sown, A Bumper Harvest Of National >Disintegration Is Reaped > >Governance in a Sovereign Republic is about people. It is not simply about >political parties. Political parties are mere instruments for political >leadership. The exercise of authority by a political party to govern a >country is incidental to and consequential on the exercise of power by the >people. > >The authority of the people may either be entrusted to a party or a group >of >persons or be usurped for a while. However, it can never be seized for all >times. Power truly belongs to no one, but the people. It never did and it >never will belong to anyone but the people. > >The only legitimate way of being entrusted with power is to receive the >mandate of an enlightened and free people. The only legitimate way of >exercising entrusted authority is to do so to promote the general welfare >of >the people. > >It is in recognition of this fundamental and inalienable right that the >Constitution asserts the Sovereignty of the people in its first chapter: > >"The Sovereignty of The Gambia resides in the people of The Gambia from >whom >all organs of government derive their authority and in whose name and for >whose welfare and prosperity the powers of government are to be exercised >in >accordance with this Constitution." > >It is, therefore, abundantly clear that your government should exercise the >authority it has to promote the prosperity and general welfare of the >people. Liberty is as essential to general welfare as prosperity. The two >are twins. Oppression is as devastating as hunger. People starved of >freedom >have been known to prefer the grave to life. Oppression maddens and kills >just as hunger maddens and kills. General welfare, therefore, cannot be >enlarged and consolidated without enlarging and consolidating freedom and >prosperity. > >The objective of this letter is to convey to you that the pronouncement >made >during your July 22 address and the subsequent addresses during your >meeting >with the Youth Action Group of the APRC, which predicated it, have trampled >on certain fundamental tenets which make possible the peaceful coexistence >of people who share fundamental political differences and conceptions on >how >the country that belongs to all of us should be governed. > >The number of people who assembled before you during your meeting with the >Youth Action Group are but a minuscule if compared with the general Gambian >population. The number of people who belong to political parties are also a >few compared to the general majority. > >What has become apparent is that while you were addressing a charged group >of party militants within the confines of a small room, the television >cameras were transmitting what was being said to the larger Gambian >population. You have heard the voices of your party militants agitating for >you not to provide a fertile ground for the growth of your enemies. You >have >heard them express that they can be subjected to supreme danger before you >feel the pinch if you do not take a firm hand in handling opponents they >described as trouble makers. > >In plain language, they were asking you to take extremist measures to deal >with what they classified as political extremism. One could visibly see >from >those who were transmitting their views that they felt that they were in a >state of insecurity and needed the might of the State to provide them with >security. > >Your response was unequivocal. You claimed that you will speak the language >of extremism, which is the language you believe some people know; that >those >who take extremist measures will not be spared; that those who do not >consider the government as theirs will be purged; that anyone who threatens >the stability of the country shall find oneself one hundred feet deep. > >You cautioned that the Youth Action Group must not allow itself to be >infiltrated by real wolves as the July 22 Movement was. It was abundantly >clear from the pronouncements of its members that such a group was to >emerge >in every area of the public service to scrutinise what is being done. You >made it abundantly clear that those who do not take ownership of your >government could go out and wait for the government they can take ownership >of. > >Apparently, you and the members of the Youth Action Group mutually >appreciated what was said, and mutually assured each other renewed >confidence. What should now be of concern to you, as Head of State, is the >opinion of those who are not members of your party. > >In that regard, it is important to emphasise with all the emphasis at our >command that The Gambia belongs to her people and not to any given party or >person. There are very few Gambians who want this country to disintegrate. >Suffice it to say, the quickest way to drag a country into the abyss of >disintegration is to sow and water the seed of national discord. Where the >seed of national discord is sown, only a bumper harvest of national >disintegration would be reaped. > >This is precisely the reason why the comments of the APRC militants and >your >address cannot be taken lightly. This is all the more so when one considers >the circumstances which prevailed prior to the meeting. Rumours were rife >that the APRC youth groups were preparing themselves for a revenge of the >death of Alieu Njie. The manner of arresting those classified as coup >plotters also added to the climate of unpredictability of what could >happen. > >At your meeting, your militants did not hide that they were beginning to >feel insecure and did not hesitate to urge for action to ensure their >security; yet the measures that were being suggested are geared towards >making others insecure. How can security be assured by planting the seed of >insecurity? > >It is important for you to bear in mind that overreaction is not the >solution. Such overreaction can only lead to negation of all the >principles >that make a society governable in a democratic way and sow the seed of >greater insecurity. > >It was glaringly evident that the comments during the meeting, from you and >the militants of the APRC, honoured the provisions of the Constitution with >total disregard. > >Section 60, subsection (3) of the Constitution states categorically that > >"The number of political parties shall not be limited by law and every >citizen of The Gambia shall have the right freely to choose whether or not >he or she will become a member of a political party and which party he or >she will support." > >In short, every Gambian has the right to belong to the political party of >his or her choice. Section 26 of the Constitution adds that > >"Every citizen of The Gambia of full age and capacity shall have the right, >without unreasonable restrictions- >"(a) to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through >freely chosen representatives; >"(b) to vote and stand for elections at genuine periodic elections for >public office, which elections shall be by universal and equal suffrage and >be held by secret ballot; >"(c) to have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in The >Gambia." > >Each Gambian has a right to have access to public service. The public >service is maintained by the taxes of the Gambian people. Political >affiliation should neither determine access to public service nor serve as >a >criteria for occupying a post as a public servant. A proper public service >must ensure security of tenure. Public servants are supposed to be employed >on the basis of merit. They must also be reprimanded on the basis of Public >Service Regulations. > >Section 169, subsection (1) of the Constitution states categorically that: > >"No public servant shall be- >"(a) victimised or discriminated against either directly or indirectly for >having discharged his or her duties faithfully and according to law; >"(b) be removed from office or reduced in rank or otherwise punished >without >just cause." > >It is abundantly clear from this that no one holding office in the service >of the national or local governments or in any public enterprise should be >victimised or discriminated against on any grounds, especially political >ones. > >Needless to say, a Commission of Enquiry into the April 10 and 11 incident >is convened by you. The Commission has not presented its report. To impute >motives of conspiracy without receiving the report constitutes an affront >to >the integrity of the Commission and thus impinges on its independent >jurisdiction to examine the matter and draw its own conclusions. > >The threat of sending people six feet or hundred feet deep for threatening >the stability of the State gives a warlike connotation. It added fuel to a >fire that all those who are against confrontational politics have been >trying to put off. > >May we convey to you that the reactions of your militants is a by-product >of >a misreading of the political situation in the country. Since the Basse >incident, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has been making effort >to create a consultative forum for political parties to discuss >differences. >If your party genuinely wants a climate of political tolerance and mutual >respect, it should give more support to the initiative of the IEC rather >than stifle it by going back to the politics of the coup period. > >1994 and the year 2000 are not the same. A no-election agenda is >inconceivable. If you concentrate on the whims and designs of party >militants, you will have to face the verdict of the Gambian people when the >time comes. It is that verdict which is the ultimate determinant of the >political survival of anyone who is interested in political leadership. > >The wish of the Gambian people is for their sovereign ownership of this >country to be respected. The wish of the Gambian people is for their >affairs >to be governed on the basis of just rules and regulations rather than on >the >whims and caprices of a few. The wish of the Gambian people is for an open >society where divergent views can contend. The wish of the Gambian people >is >not to be a tool for any party to be used to perpetrate injustice against >the other. The wish of the Gambian people is not to be a subject of any >political thuggery. > >What Gambia needs is a leadership which does not overreact when problems of >governance emerge. What Gambia needs is a leadership which can put >conscience and national interest before personal and partisan interests. >What Gambia needs is a leadership which respects the sovereignty of the >people. What Gambia needs is a leadership which promotes a culture of >tolerance to the point that one does not even fear losing political office. > >Now that the IEC has established a mechanism for consultation, we call on >you, your government and your party to respect the forum and put all plans >aside and register your queries for further discussion and action. > >The Gambian people have been mature to have engaged in all sorts of >consultations to be able to get to where we are today. It will be a sign of >great historical folly to go back to square one by promoting national >discord. Those who call themselves leaders, but cannot utilise their >intelligence to properly address the burning issues of the time until >others >come to show them how they should coexist would have considered themselves >to be unfit to vie for political leadership in the 21st century. > >We hope those members of the Youth Action Group would realise that any >action that makes people feel insecure will also ultimately lead to the >ungovernability of a society. The best type of society is where none feels >that one's security is safeguarded by making the other insecure. A society >based on tolerance is the best safeguard for each other's personal >securities. > >The time has come for all political parties to create a political >environment which will make the people the supreme determinant or architect >of the manner of government of this country. This can only be done by >contributing to their enlightenment, their political maturity, their >organisation so that no one on earth can subject them to tyranny of any >sort >against their will. That a people who are enlightened and organised can >never be a victim of national discord and disintegration is a verdict of >history and it is irrevocable. > >By a copy of this letter, we are also calling on all the Gambian people to >refuse to be utilised by anyone for his or her own personal interest. Each >Gambian should value himself or herself. Each Gambian should realise that >power belongs to each of them; that it is this power which is combined and >entrusted to a political leader; that the custodian of the political power >of the people should utilise that power not to divide them but unify them; >not to intimidate and oppress, but to enhance their freedom; that they, the >people, must refuse to heed to the call of anyone who seeks to divide them >and transform them into cannon-fodders. > >We hope that maximum effort will be made by you, in particular, the >leadership of the opposition parties and the people, at large, to revisit >the political situation in The Gambia and take the course of action that >would prevent the country from disintegrating and guarantee the people >their >right to determine who manages their affairs to promote their prosperity, >liberty and general welfare. > > > > >............................................ >Halifa Sallah >For: The Central Committee. > > > >Cc: Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission >Secretary General, Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction >Secretary General, National Reconciliation Party >Secretary General, United Democratic Party >Press > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------