Hamjatta, another masterpiece. From the onset, I always read your postings with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I feel immense pride seeing the brilliance in your work and the potential for our nation. On the other hand, I always lament the fact that thanks to the Yayas of this world, mediocrity is what thrives back home. The way you dissected Yaya's intellectual prostitutes, is spot on. Your description of Roberts must be quite apt. I can tell you that I do not even know the nonentity. These so called disgruntled elements from the Jawara era are only a bunch of losers. As I said here months ago about Fatoumata Jahumpa and Bala Jahumpa, these people even benefited from the Jawara regime more than people like you and me. There was a great piece in one of our local newspapers also pointing out how people like Saja Taal benefited from the Jawara regime and how he has now turned his principles up side down. It is pathetic the way these people lead their lives. The main culprit here is unaccountability. We do not confront these people with their inconsistencies and ask them to reconcile the double standards. But that is going to change. Hamjatta, I can tell you that privately I have never discussed with anyone that can convince me that Yaya is good for our country. This is since 1994. I take them to task and challenge them with concrete facts. In the end, they just put me aside and cease discussing with me about Yaya. They all know that what is going on is not right. But few of them have the decency to face reality. Do people think that Roberts does not know that Yaya is corrupt and steals money from the Gambian people? Do people think that Roberts does not know that Yaya practices the worst form of nepotism? All these people know that Yaya was responsible for the massacre of our children on April 10 and 11. They also know that Yaya is a moron because they talk to him. The Roberts' and the Johnsons of this world all know evil when they see it. They do not have the guts to stand up to it or at least distance themselves from it. It is telling according to your account that Roberts waited until Jawara was gone to air his (Roberts') grievances. That is what these people do. What is sickening to me is the pretense and the self-righteousness they engage in. There is nothing wrong in admitting that you are a coward if you are one. As you pointed out, we are going to follow the moves these people make and when the time of reckoning comes, they are going to account for their actions. I am also glad that you pointed out the futility in fighting for Johnson before the courts. Even if he is reinstated, Johnson is not going to solve our problems. It is a mistake to compare Johnson's token moves at being independent with Roberts' earlier failures when he was at the helm. In my book, both men are incapable. Johnson might be better than Roberts, but Johnson also does not have what it takes. Is Johnson going to do like Guie (electoral commission) in Ivory Coast and declare a result unfavorable to Yaya even under immense duress? Is this not the same man that went to Sami and told people that they cannot freely exercise their right to conduct political campaigns as we know it? Is this not the same Johnson that was dragging his feet about the November elections? Is this not the same man that orchestrated the holding of a 'non-partisan' election in Sami? Up to this day I cannot get a logical explanation as to where Johnson got those rules from. It seems like Johnson himself does not know. One of his prayers to the court was for a declaration that Local Government elections can be held on a 'non-partisan' basis. So if Johnson was sure of what he was doing, why did he need a court declaration? I suggest that he wanted to tie the Gambian people in knots. He wanted to have legal backing for those clearly undemocratic and unconstitutional laws. As I said before, if the IEC wants to curb the thuggery that mars elections campaigns in The Gambia, it should find ways of forcing the Police to enforce the criminal laws of the country. It is absurd to say that the way to solve this problem is to ban political rallies. It is like saying that the way to solve the problem posed by drunk drivers, is to ask other motorists to give up driving. The Opposition should realize that there is no inconsistency in condemning Yaya's unilateral dismissal of Johnson and at the same time saying that Johnson should fight his battle by himself. If the man stands up to Yaya, I will be shocked. The Opposition can use this debacle to change the way electoral commissioners are selected. Advocate that the task be placed in the hands of judges that are going to use legal (as opposed to political) criteria to appoint and fire electoral commissioners. As far as Roberts is concerned, rest assured that we will scrutinize all his moves. The shenanigans of past elections will not be repeated. Frankly though, I also think that the writing is already on the wall. There cannot be free and fair presidential elections in the country. The sooner the Opposition realizes this and do something about it, the better. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand, and as soon as Yaya crosses it, the masses should pounce on him. The murderer of our children should not be allowed to govern that country. Hamjatta, thanks once again for your contributions. KB >From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Shape of Things to Come >Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 22:35:02 -0000 > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com