George, thanks for the many points you raised.  Your questions and many more we need to tackle in order for us to make an informed choice on how to spend the money being raised.  We, the donors, will decide on how we want to spend the money.  I believe the coming ALD Conference will provide answers to most of the questions you and others raised.  The conclusions reached at the Conference will also provide a good jumpstart to launch a discussion on the serious issue of funding our position in the coming election.  To all who have questions, I say, just bring in the money and we all will decide in the end on how we want it spent.  We cannot afford to "watch hand", for the stakes are really high and time is not on our side.  Remember, these funds will be spent by the recipient party, going into the elections and not after the elections.  They need these funds and others they raised to get their message out and to build on their support base.  Again George, thanks for your questions and your donation.  Please help spread the word.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou

>From: Mr Makaveli <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Brother Conteh Re: ELECTION FUND UPDATE
>Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 07:56:56 -0500
>
>Comrade MLJ Conteh,
> Good morning to you sir. I must first say that your patriotism is very
>admirable because you've reminded us many times that not only do you talk
>the talk but walk the walk. Believe it or not some of us are likewise. But
>I can only speak for myself at this point. Here is my dilemma:I have a $50
>bill on one hand and a blank check on the other. Maybe with $0.33 I can
>buy a stamp and mail that to brother Sambou. No sweat there. However, with
>the blank check, I intend to be very generous so I'm not going to disclose
>the amount.You want details, fine, let's just say it will be over a $1,000
>and I'm bluffing because the money is not an issue for me. The issue is,
>does it make sense to send all that money to opposition parties to split
>or does it make more sense to give it to the party that stands a better
>chance of winning based on what we know already? Ideally, for me and I'm
>sure many others,it would be witnessing history for me to write this blank
>check I'm holding to a United Oposition Party in the truest sense of the
>term collectiveness, which some of us tend to us not in it's purest from.
>
>If these people truely wants to lead us in the interest of all and sundry,
>then why can't they put their differences aside and work for an amicable
>compromise that will gurantee all and sundry a decisive victory over APRC,
>especially when it seems suicidal at this stage for any single opposition
>party to assume they can win on their own. If they have that much
>confidence in themselves then they need not solicit funds from us because
>the bottomline is they have no business, in the first place, running for
>an election knowing they lack sufficient funds. That doesn't speak well
>of any party with a desire not to just contest but win. We need winners.
>Because guess what, now the burden is on us to try to raise the funds for
>them. So if that's where it is now, then we,the concerned gambians, should
>be calling the shots. That means they should not only consider our viable
>proposal for a united opposition party, but endorse it instead. That is
>what I mean by an amicable compromise. I've yet to hear a genuine rebuttal
>for them not making this viable idea a reality us all. One starts to
>wonder if our so-called party leaders are after their own politic
>aspirations and not interested in what is in the best interest of the
>gambian people. Truth is we can't afford another term from Yahya Jammeh.
>Why wait till now only to realise that their funds are limited. Gambia-L
>was here how many years and months back and so were we, so why come to
>us now. It doesn't speak well for a potential candidate. I hate to bore
>you to death but this is my dilemma, brother Comrade MLJ Conteh. So there
>you have it. I have a blank check which will soon be payable to: UNITED
>OPPOSITION PARTY, Banjul, The Gambia. But I do have a $50 bill if you
>insist that you have a better idea to our dilemma.
>
> Naphiyo to you sir,
> Mr Makaveli.
>
>PS: I know some of you are saying, George just send in your doggone $50
>bill.Maybe I'm dead wrong and should just send it, I don't know.
>
>From: MLJ Conteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: ELECTION FUND UPDATE
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Date: May 12, 2001
>
>
>Brother Joe:
>
>I want to take this time in thanking you on the weekly
>update for the election fund drive. Your persistence
>will pay off one day.
>
>I must admit that this week has been interesting on the
>L. We have spent valuable time debating about the
>Touray debacle. I just cannot believe most of the
>comrades in support of the UDP expulsion of Hon. Touray
>have not yet contributed to the fund drive. I wonder
>why all the talk and no action.
>
>We just cannot exhibit intellectual know how without
>sacrificing few dollars to our struggle. These actions
>my some of the comrades clearly indicate an agency
>theory. We are determined to maximize the profits (win)
>of the opposition, but some of us are bent of the desire
>of individualism.
>
>Dr. Saine indicated that he would call friends who still
>have not contributed to our fund drive. I therefore want
>to borrow a page from him and call on the following
>people to send in their contributions: Messrs Lamin Manneh,
>Kebba Dampha, Sanusi Owens, Bamba Laye Jallow, Yahya
>Darboe, Momodou Olly Mboge, Hamjatta Kanteh and the rest
>of the gang. We must match our intellectual zeal with
>our pockets. We just cannot do the talk and don't
>do the walk. I therefore urge the above to send in their
>contributions. We can only be serious about our
>opposition to the dictatorship in The Gambia when we are
>willing to contribute.
>
>Please leave your address on the next weekly update. I
>will be sending in my monthly unspent miscellaneous
>expense. I am budgeting to deduct a $10 weekly personal
>expense for the fund drive initiative.
>
>Naphiyo,
>
>Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
>
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