I am dissappointed at the apparent loss of the UDP seat in Kiang. Initial indications are that more than a thousand registered voters did not vote in this particular district. The idea that all of a sudden a thousand people decided they would not vote can only be plausibly attributed to vote buying. A surefire way to determine an outcome is to buttress a limited support base with an aggressive campaign of ensuring that gaulible supporters of your opponent are neutralised with last minute cash inducements. While true democrats would abhore this kind of practice, the ultimate responsibility lies with the person who would exchange his right to vote with a dollar or two. It cannot all simply be explained away as a lack of understanding of the clear and present sets of issues facing our country. If a poor farmer can choose to vote for a gov't that has brought much misery on him in all these years for no reason other than a last minute D25 payoff, I would suggest we would get the kind of outcome we have seen today in Kiang . It is those who choose to vote for their candidate of choice purely out of their own volition and faith in them that must keep us all working for a better Gambia. Karamba ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------