UDP Sends Open Letter To President Jammeh

The Independent
March 9, 2001

By Olufemi Jr
Banjul, The Gambia

The opposition United Democratic Party held a press conference on Monday at their Party bureau to introduce the UDP candidates for the bye-elections in Baddibu Central and Kiang East scheduled for the 31st March 2001, as well as issue an open letter to President Jammeh on governance issues in the country.

In the letter signed by the organizing secretary, Lamin Waa Juwara on behalf of the executive, the UDP expressed their concern over the political trend in the country which they said is "currently polluting the socio-political environment at the grassroots", mentioning in particular the roles being played by the assistant commissioner of the URD, Momodou Soma Jobe and the APRC 2nd vice chairman Alhaji Banta Camara.

Below is the full text of the letter:

Mr. President,

We are once again sending you this open letter, expecting that by now, and after a period of almost five years in national politics, you have evolved a coherent policy of maintaining, at all cost, the unity and cohesion of our people in spite of political divergences.

The UDP has always maintained that political pluralism, especially in a small country like ours, does not warrant a feud or a vendetta. If we Gambians have chosen to adopt a multi-party system of democracy, then of course we should do everything possible to uphold the principle of that system of governance.

Having said this, Mr. President, we now want to review with you the unsatisfactory state of affairs that is currently polluting the socio-political environment at the grassroots.

We have noted that administration personnel at the local level, including Seyfolu, are your handpicked supporters and are working for your political interests. The same thing can be said about the assistant commissioners and even most of the commissioners who are either members of the so-called disbanded July 22 Movement or he APRC Youth Action Group.

Mr. President, if your appointees concentrate on uniting our people for national development by performing their administrative functions without bias, the UDP would not criticize them for being members of your party even though we know that some civil servants, who are merely suspected of not supporting you or your party, are being systematically purged out of the service.

The sorry state of affairs is that your party has a Youth Action Group and the UDP has a Youth Wing which the leadership is always trying to control. These are all Gambian youths who know each other and whose needs and capabilities are identical in many respects. Any mature leadership should avoid sowing the seeds of discord among them that could lead to physical confrontation of any kind. The homogeneous nature of our society means that in most cases these youths, though belonging to different political camps, are blood-related, one to the other, through family lineages.

The situation in the Upper River Division calls for such restraint and we once again wish to single out your Assistant Commissioner in the URD, Momodou Soma Jobe and your party's 2nd vice-chairman, Alhaji Banta Camara. These people are not doing much to foster the cause of peace and harmony within and between the youths. By extension, their activities if allowed to continue will adversely affect the age long cohesion amongst the various communities in the URD.

There is incontrovertible evidence that these two men masterminded the operation of waylaying a UDP convoy heading for Kulari just off Chamoi Bridge on June 17th 2000. Earlier on, the same men had used APRC Youth Action Group members to intercept and disrupt UDP meetings in Julangel, Gambisara, Numuyel and Allunhare. The action of those youths was definitely part of a premeditated plan hatched by Banta Camara and Soma Jobe to create trouble for the UDP during our tour of the URD at the time. The police in Basse were in the picture and had actually warned the APRC youths to refrain from making any trouble in the interest of peace and their own safety and protection.

Sadly for our democracy, those honest and dedicated police officers have all lost their jobs simply because they were honest enough to come out with the facts being on the spot and having monitored the situation right from the start of the events.

The other team of officers who came from Police Headquarters in Banjul two days later, chose to ignore the rules of detective investigation by deliberately and openly manifesting bias and side taking. Be rest assured, Mr. President, that the report of the Basse police officers that were on the spot has been well preserved. It may not be useful now, but history and posterity will find the evidence not only illuminating but definitely revealing.

Mr. President, it is the law of nature that life is subject to changes, which is why the wise are mindful of the fact that 'no condition is permanent'. As a result, those who are privileged to govern must act with a high sense of justice, fair play and a sense of duty to oneself and one's nation. History may be full of regrets but it is replete with honourable acts of good governance, love and tolerance even in the face of adversity.

At this point, Mr. President, allow us to draw your attention once more to the URD and to the activities of your appointee, Momodou Soma Jobe, who has again been violating our people's democratic rights. The Assistant Commissioner, as recently as 11th February 2001, threatened our chairmen and party supporters in Kundam (Tumana), Bakadaji (Jimara), and Mansajang (Basse) who had announced their intentions to hold informal consultation meetings without the use of loudspeakers in their respective villages. The Alkalolu of these villages were also intimidated and threatened with dismissal if they allowed UDP to assemble in their villages. Momodou Soma Jobe used the GRTS radio in Basse to carry out those threats.

In our opinion, this kind of action is calculated to create discord, disunity and fermenting conflicts at the village level that could spread to the district level. People are free to join the political party of their choice and this right is guaranteed by the constitution. As a result, any interference on this basic and fundamental right is calling for trouble, which is the last thing that UDP wants.

To prove this point, we made several phone calls to our affected youths and supporters restraining them from engaging in any acts that would breach the peace. Despite this, the poor alkalolu found themselves being confronted and challenged by villagers who maintained that they had a constitutional right to a peaceful gathering. The alkalo, the people maintained, was responsible for his family only and does not own any one else.

The wish of the people eventually prevailed. The meetings were re-scheduled and held peacefully two days later. The people's stand for justice is a clear testimony to the fact that they have had the required civic education on both the Public Order Act and the Constitution which inter-alia states as follows: Section 25 (1) (c) states: "Every person shall have the right to; freedom of association which shall include freedom to form and join associations and unions including political parties and trade unions." This right is enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution entitled "Protection of Fundamental Human Rights."

To further refresh your memory, Mr. President,

Section 17 (1) states: "The fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in this chapter shall be respected and upheld by all organs of the Executive and its agencies, the Legislature and where applicable to them, by all natural and legal persons in The Gambia, and shall be enforceable by the courts in accordance with the Constitution."

Mr. President, the UDP has not lost sight of the responsibility imposed on all citizens by the Constitution, namely:

Section 17 (2), which states:

"Every person in The Gambia, whatever his or her race, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this chapter, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the public interest."

Mr. President, the UDP leadership urges you to make concrete efforts towards peace and mutual respect for the basic rights of the people in this country. The culture of political violence being nurtured by the APRC Youth Action Group is alien to us and should be stopped from taking root at all costs.

The principle must be accepted that people have the right to pursue their common interests within the bounds of our democratic culture. If this is understood and respected even the abuse of the rights of nationals by the security forces will be averted and the current serious concern in the world about our human rights record could be put straight. Finally, we want to emphasize our abhorrence of all forms of oppression and suppression of people's rights and liberty because they are the perfect recipe for discord and disunity. Mr. President, the onus is now on you. The UDP will continue to conduct its affairs peacefully, and in the best interest of the nation within the prescribed limits of the law and the Constitution. We expect you to play your part so that we can all live in the country with a sense of security. May Allah The Almighty bless our country and all its people.

Yours in the service of justice, peace and progress.

		Copyright © 2001 The Independent. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).