Keep up the sensitization program, MRDGUK! If the same passion had been used to denounce the corrupt practices of the former PPP government, perhaps, The Gambia would have been saved the current situation. The majority of us partook in the revelry and consciously danced our way into a coup d'etat led by some irresponsible young men. I don't want to dwell on the past. However, if former President Jawara were serious about the democracy he is preaching today his government would have instituted a limited mandate for the presidency, prosecuted and punished corrupt officials, accorded equal access to education and health care facilities, allowed the full exercise of the right to freedom of association, etc., etc. He may have confused the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (an NGO) with the OAU African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (cf. the MRDGUK report), if I may digress. In my opinion, the APRC government has just perfected the PPP system of corruption and graft. President Jammeh has gone further by turning his guns against dissenting men, women, and children. He has perfected the tools of intimidation and murder, of icon worshipping and personality cult, and religious falsehood. Again some of us are cheering him up: "Jammeh Jilangka!", just as we sang "Kairaba Jawara!". Among his cronies today are Jawara's victims of yesteryear; a full cycle of victimization and retribution. Justice and equality before the law are the yardstick of measuring democracy not personalities. President Jammeh is the creation of our own people: those who sit in the national assembly and sing his praises and turn a blind eye to his corrupt practices and murder. If the APRC national assembly members were concerned about the fate of their country they would have paralyzed Mr. Jammeh's government by now. I do share Momodou Sanneh's concern about the purported restoration of democracy. What we need is a clean slate. Jawara and Jammeh are just two sides of the same 50 bututs. Hamadi _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.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 You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------