Yus, Very original and a breath of fresh air! For The Gambia, Hasatou >From: Yusupha C Jow <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Gambian Opposition, Elections and Related Issues >Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 14:33:42 EDT > >Dampha: > >I would like to start by conclusively stating that my opposition to the >overall manner in which the anti-APRC campaign has been orchestrated by >certain factions on the L did not originate from misplaced sycophancy, as >you >subtly alluded to in your post, or rebellion. I am not very good at >calling >people names or engaging in personal attacks. This you probably know by >now. > So, again, let us deal with the issues and by all means try to avoid >unnecessary name calling as subtle as they might be. > >First, I sincerely believe that you did not understand my point about Joke. >If my language was unclear or too winded, I apologize. But let me make >things clear once again in the hopes that, this time, my statements will >not >be taken out of context. > >I simply do not understand why you seem to think that Joke's support for >the >APRC is not a conflicted one. In your paragraph on this issue, I could not >help but notice the use of "Yahya" and the 'APRC" in an interchangeable >manner. I believe Joke stated that Yahya should not be blamed solely for >the >atrocities which have happened of late, but the APRC as a political party >should be collectively held responsible. His acceptance of the party's >wrongs makes his support for them a conflicted one in my opinion. He has >flip flopped on the issue several times since then but this does not change >the fact that he did put the blame for the recent atrocities on his party's >doorstep. I was going to use some examples to support my point, but I do >not >think this is necessary at this point. Mind you, calling his relationship >with the APRC a conflicted one was not meant to justify his legitimacy in >any >way whatsoever. He has views which conflict with ours. But so do many >other >Gambians and Africans who are willing to deal with supposedly legitimate >regimes who violate human rights at every corner while, at the same time, >performing some governmental function. Again, I figured this would be a >point worth noting! Why? Because there will always be people like Joke >and >attacking him mercilessly while neglecting more pertinent issues will not >change this fact. Is there a danger that the one you called Joke will >change >the minds of the masses? I think not. So what does the overall purpose of >lambasting the man mercilessly while other more important issues are >neglected serve? Answer is it not only serves nothing but this can be >equated to a misuse of the incredible platform we have for the discussion >of >more pertinent issues. Anyway, I do hope you do have a better >understanding >of my point about Joke. He is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, a >diversion. KB, how does one deal with a diversion? > > >Now that the subject of Joke has been dealt with once and for all, lets >move >on to more pressing issues. Let's talk about political strategy for a >moment. You claim to be doing work in the background with movements which >have not come out with a solid agenda for months on end. I do not intend >to >criticize these groups but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. >Please >let us know about your collective agendas in respect to the fast >approaching >elections soon. The elections are only six months away and this secret >strategy will serve no purpose unless it is revealed very quickly. In >other >words, plans need to be put into action as soon as possible to allow them >to >materialize. But you say that attacking Joke will help the election fund >drive? Let me ask you a question! How much of a change have you seen in >your coffers since this attacking of the man started? Don't you think that >a >more worthwhile endeavor would be perhaps trying to figure out how and >where >these funds will come from? In the past, letters were drafted on the L in >an >attempt to sensitize the outside World of the plight of our country. >Hopefully, we shall return to these types of strategies soon as opposed to >attacking dissenting views in the hopes of raising funds. > >Finally, I will touch on the UDP and move on simply because I do not have >the >time to write rolling and endless narratives about every single thing which >comes to my mind regarding this issue. You say staunch opposition >supporters >should be discrete and constructive, perhaps in reference to my stinging >criticism of the opposition. Well to this Dampha, I say: "Welcome to the >real World, and the truth as much as it hurts must be told." I do not say >these things simply out of being a sycophant or because I am a rebel, but >because they were derived out of a genuine process of extended thought. >What >do you think I do after work, or on the occasions when I am chilling on my >porch drinking a cold one? One cannot help but hark back to the motherland >and think of what has become of it and why? My criticism of the UDP was a >result of these 'aimless' moments of wondering and thinking. > >Let me reiterate my points once again. Again, while I believe that >anything >but the APRC will suffice after the next elections, I am not satisfied with >the way the UDP has conducted its affairs. I do not think there is >anything >wrong with raising this grave concern, especially when the elections are >right around the corner. My discretion in raising these points would be to >assume that this is not an open secret. In other words, everyone with an >inkling of common sense should know the UDP is headed for an election loss >if >things don't change very quickly. Only the UDP and her supporters can >change >this possibly catastrophe, and I figured highlighting the issue for all to >see would help bring some of the following issues to the fore: > >As I stated in my reply to Sanusi Owens, I think this cross-carpeting issue >is very serious. You guys tend to attribute the problem solely to >enticements in the form of money from the APRC. I refuse to be so >simplistic >and instead look for other reasons for such an occurrence. One which jumps >to my mind immediately is the party's message. People also defect because >they do not subscribe to a party or state's philosophy. But you attribute >this type of thinking to sycophancy! Go figure! I hope the UDP looks into >this issue. I have already apologized to Pesseh and family for using him >as >an example to make a point. > >My next point is related to the above in that a clear message in the form >of >literature must be extensively distributed by the UDP. Unlike Burning >Issues >distributed by Foroya, the UDP does not have a publication to my knowledge >which deals with issues people need to hear about. This is probably tied >to >the defection problem in that the message is not just being stated strongly >enough, or perhaps the platform is not strong enough. Either way, these >two >problems (defection + message) need to be taken up by none other than the >UDP >and you saying that we should blame the individuals is absolutely >ridiculous. > In the same vein, blaming the recent election losses solely on vote >buying >is simply not being objective enough. Again, as I stressed , there is much >more to the loss than a simplistic explantion like vote buying. I think >that >assumption too is a misguided one borne out of foolish overconfidence. We >need to view the issue more objectively. Vote buying solely does not do it >for me. I hope the UDP deals with this issue. > >Waa Juwara (apologies for butchering your name previously) made the wrong >move in my opinion. By making statements against people working for the >feminist movements. Contrary to my previous assertion, I do not think he >is >an anti-feminist. But, lets put it this way, his statements did not help >his >party's position from the viewpoint of women who make up the majority of >the >voting population. He did not get asked to explain UDP's position towards >the upliftment of women, but he should have been savvy enough to realize >that >his statements would be interpreted from this perspective. It's just the >nature of the beast. In this light, his statements were misguided and >politically naïve. The party regardless of spokesmans should speak >responsibly in one voice. On the APRC's record on women, I could give >less >of a hoot. I am more interested in the opposition maintaining a decent >standard. As the old saying goes, two wrongs do not make a right. > >To conclude, Dampha, there is nothing wrong with thinking alike. But once >this modus operandi becomes such that the truth is being obscured/ignored >in >the name of thinking in unison, then there is a problem which needs to be >addressed . On solutions, I really don't have many but I do hope that my >criticism is not seen as detrimental but instead as a chance for >reevaluation, improvement and hopefully movement in the right direction. > >Note: KB: One objection. I simply despise being used in the same paragraph >as Joke. (laugh) > >Have a nice day! > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------