Mr. Dampha,

You hit the nail on the head.  PDOIS' excuse for not attending the conference was rather lame and their stance on the mattter infantile.  It leaves no doubt in my mind now that these people are in cahoots with this murderous regime.

Lamin Jeng


>From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]>

>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: FWD:On The Meeting Of Gambian Opposition Parties In London
>Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 09:42:50 -0500
>
>Despicable. I have lost all respect I had for these people. I will
>give
>MRDG(UK) the opportunity to respond appropriately to this gibberish
>before I
>send my other comments. Suffice for me to say at this stage that I
>would
>respectfully counsel the Movement to catalog all the efforts they
>made to
>include PDOIS in this meeting. I am also offended by PDOIS
>characterization
>of Movement members as refugees in Britain. People like Bahoum are
>not
>refugees. What happened to words like political exiles?
>
>This is just disgusting. PDOIS should realize that what this
>Movement is
>trying to do is not an indictment on the Opposition on the ground,
>per se.
>The Movement is trying to complement the efforts the genuine
>Opposition on
>the ground is doing. PDOIS' attendance at the Briefing could have
>only added
>to the strength of the Opposition. To argue that PDOIS' presence at
>the
>Briefing would some way undermine the Opposition, is simply absurd.
>
>No one is putting our entire fate in the hands of 'a British MP'.
>That does
>not make sense. But the help that British MP can give, should not be
>downplayed simply because that help alone cannot solve all our
>problems.
>This Briefing is not the only thing the Movement is engaged in.
>PDOIS knows
>that.
>
>To also suggest that going to Britain somewhat undermines the
>British High
>Commissioner in Gambia, is also illogical. As I understand it, the
>Deputy
>High Commissioner was at the Briefing. So what is PDOIS talking
>about? Even
>if we (in the Diaspora) want to undermine the High Commissioner, it
>is quite
>legitimate. Under the High Commissioner's watch, Britain restored
>military
>aid to Yaya. US State Department reports about Gambia is
>significantly
>different from the reports that come from Britain. The High
>Commissioner has
>something to do with that. What effective moves did PDOIS make to
>redress
>the insensitivity of the British to the plight of Gambian children?
>Where
>was PDOIS when top British military officials were feting the
>security
>forces that massacred our children in broad daylight?
>
>We, on the other hand protested to the British Foreign Office and
>all we got
>were boiler-plate letters filled with patronizing garbage. This
>Briefing
>became partly necessary because of the lack of positive response
>from the
>executive branch of the British government. As patriotic Gambians
>that
>understand the British political landscape, the Movement sought the
>help of
>the legislative branch in order to change Britain's clearly
>erroneous policy
>towards Gambia. What is wrong with that? Why does PDOIS have to try
>and
>undermine these noble and legitimate efforts?
>
>If PDOIS thinks that the work to restore democracy in The Gambia is
>a
>'limited' affair, one wonders whether PDOIS should be taken
>seriously when
>they say that they want to change the society. Bringing democracy to
>the
>country is the single most important change we can bring to the
>country. If
>we had democracy, thugs like Yaya would not be leading that country.
>It is
>not a small and 'limited work' that should be left in the hands of
>'human
>rights advocacy groups'. Every well meaning Gambian should join in
>the fight
>to restore democracy in the country.
>
>PDOIS opened their ill-advised statement by saying that they were
>not clear
>about the purpose of the meeting. This is absurd. If that is one of
>the
>reasons why they did not show up, why did they not ask MRDG(UK) to
>clarify
>the purpose of the meeting before the meeting was held?
>Alternatively, why
>did PDOIS not just show up with their own agenda and say whatever
>they
>wanted? For Halifa Sallah to stand up now and say that it is not
>worth his
>while to attend the Briefing while few months ago he was willing to
>come to
>London and debate Hamjatta Kanteh, speaks volumes of this man.
>
>Frankly, I think the Opposition is better off without these
>characters. If I
>were NRP and UDP, we will forget about PDOIS and do our own thing.
>PDOIS is
>closer to APRC than NRP and UDP. As far as I am concerned, I have
>personally
>given up on these people. They should recognize that they are
>certainly
>doing something wrong. They have been in the Opposition since time
>immemorial, and they cannot show much for it. Halifa Sallah cannot
>even win
>Serrekunda East. There is something terribly wrong here.
>
>To the rest of the Opposition, I say, let us move on. At this
>critical
>juncture, we should jettison the doubters in our midst and
>consolidate the
>people that have made up their minds about the rotten state of our
>country.
>Some of these people are only interested in fighting old wars that
>do not
>matter to Gambian children at this juncture.
>
>I apologize to the Movement for preempting their official response
>(if any).
>I was so disgusted by PDOIS' stance that I could not prevent myself
>from
>saying what I feel. I again commend Opposition members that took
>part in the
>Briefing. It was a noble and patriotic thing to do. Ignore the
>tantrum-throwing of the APRC and their sympathizers. They are just
>making
>fools of themselves. I think I read somewhere yesterday that Joseph
>Joof was
>saying that participating at the Briefing tantamount to treason.
>What planet
>is this man from? He is now equating Yaya with the whole government
>and the
>country. Now if you challenge Yaya's human rights record, you are
>committing
>an offense against the state. Utter rubbish.
>KB
>
>
>
>>From: Momodou Camara <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: FWD:On The Meeting Of Gambian Opposition Parties In London
>>Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 14:33:29 +0100
>>
>>The following is culled from Burning Issues (FOROYAA Publication)
>>Wednesday, 7
>>March 2001
>>
>>*********************************
>>
>>On The Meeting Of Gambian Opposition Parties In London
>>
>>Dear Editors,
>>We have been hearing about a meeting between Gambian opposition
>>parties at
>>the house of commons in Britain. It is not clear to me whether
>>PDOIS was
>>invited or not. It is also not clear what the meeting was all
>>about.
>>Gambians are very much interested in knowing PDOIS's position on
>>the
>>meeting.
>>
>>The rumours are many. Some claimed that the opposition parties are
>>calling
>>on the British government to put pressure on the Gambia government
>>to
>>remove
>>Decree 89. Others are saying that the meeting intends to call for
>>intervention of the British government in pressurising the Gambia
>>Government to have greater respect human rights and democracy.
>>It would be appreciated if FOROYAA explain PDOIS's position.
>>A concern citizen.
>>
>>
>>FOROYAA's Explanation
>>Some Gambians in Britain such as James Bahoum who is the chairman
>>and
>>Chogan
>>who was once Deputy Inspector General of Police have established a
>>movement
>>called Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia.
>>MRD. The
>>movement saw a British member of parliament to lobby for his
>>support. As
>>the
>>reader knows Gambian members of National Assembly do ask questions
>>and
>>speak
>>on certain subjects at the national assembly . The British member
>>of
>>parliament can also question the policy of the British government
>>on Gambia
>>in parliament with the view to influence the policy.
>>
>>According to John McDonald, the MP for Hayes and harlington there
>>are many
>>Gambians refugees resident in his constituency. He therefore saw
>>the need
>>to
>>get briefings from representatives of the Gambian opposition on the
>>plight
>>of the Gambian people.
>>
>>Mr. McDonald therefore convened a meeting on Wednesday 28 February
>>2001 at
>>committee room 10 at the house of commons to which representatives
>>of
>>opposition parties were invited to brief him.
>>
>>While PDOIS has no objection for any Gambian abroad to try to
>>promote good
>>governance in the Gambia for PDOIS representatives to leave the
>>Gambia only
>>to brief a British MP on what is happening in the Gambia so that he
>>can
>>raise parliamentary questions when the opposition has earned so
>>much
>>respect
>>from the British High Commission to the point that the high
>>commission
>>often
>>reacts to any deterioration of the democratisation process would
>>tantamount
>>to acknowledge of impotency. Such briefings should be done by
>>Gambian
>>refugees who should be contributing their quota at that level.
>>
>>PDOIS considers its self to be more effective in promoting change
>>in the
>>Gambia than a British MP. In our view, the limited work of trying
>>to
>>promote
>>the restoration of democracy in the Gambia should be done by human
>>rights
>>advocacy groups. PDOIS is engaged in the work of transforming the
>>Gambia.
>>We
>>are now building grassroot committees for the enlightenment of the
>>people.
>>
>>What we need from Gambians are resources to carry out the work at a
>>much
>>faster pace. PDOIS is capable of challenging the APRC regime. We
>>cannot be
>>intimidated by any one. PDOIS recommended for the banned
>>politicians to
>>cooperate to have a test case, for example any one of them
>>especially
>>Sheriff Dibba could have put up his candidature for Central
>>Baddibou to see
>>whether the IEC will reject his nomination papers or not. He could
>>have
>>even
>>withdraw his nomination papers if it was accepted. On the other
>>hand, he
>>could have gone to the supreme court for further declaration on the
>>constitutionality of decree 89 in light of the rights to stand for
>>election
>>granted by section 26 of the constitution and paragraph 6 of the
>>second
>>schedule which requires the modification of laws to suit the
>>provisions of
>>the constitution.
>>
>>PDOIS is willing to support any move to ensure that only the
>>Gambian people
>>will decide who should represent them. PDOIS considers it to be
>>outright
>>tyranny for any political leadership to arbitrarily exclude any
>>other
>>Gambian from exercising their right to stand for elections.
>>Regardless of
>>how we see the PPP, PDOIS holds that it should be left to defend
>>its record
>>before the people if it has any record to defend. PDOIS maintains
>>that the
>>APRC's draconian decree is unconstitutional and should be
>>challenged. It
>>is
>>an obstacle to the democratisation process. If all parties were
>>allowed to
>>operate freely after the transition Gambia would have now had a
>>political
>>atmosphere under which the parties would be pulling their records
>>before
>>the
>>people and be judged on the basis of the merits of their programmes
>>instead
>>of the situation we have now when human rights issues are the
>>burning
>>issues. The APRC needs to gain maturity after 6 years of AFPRC and
>>APRC
>>government. Going into hysteria just because those it bans are
>>holding a
>>meeting in London is not the answer. The answer is to lift the ban
>>and then
>>get the mature party supporters who can argue their case against
>>the other
>>political parties in order to win the support of the people.
>>
>>PDOIS also call on opponents of the government to trust our own
>>abilities
>>to
>>change the country. We must not undermine our achievements. We must
>>not see
>>our salvation to depend on a British MP. We must show that we are
>>capable
>>of
>>defending the sovereignty of this country. We must therefore rely
>>on our
>>people for change. Gambians abroad should know that they do not
>>have
>>impotent opposition parties who need to be rescued by British MPs.
>>What
>>they need to do is send resources to the parties of their choice to
>>facilitate a change of government.
>>
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