Ous: Good points. I think scrutinizing the opposition and possible scenarios in the next election is the prudent thing to do. I am looking at the numbers here by district and honestly the losses which the UDP + opposition suffered during the past elections are not insurmountable. Some of the margins of victory favoring the APRC were very high but the overwhelming majority of losses were in the region of 1000 to 1500. I believe that the small margins of defeat due to the country's small size is definitely a plus for the UDP and even moreso for a United Opposition which you support. The Wa Kombos (Banjul + Kombo) and a few other regions, especially Kiangs and Baddibous, seemed to be more conscious of the 'illegality of the APRC. They voted in this manner. I was also surprised to note the importance of Serrekunda in terms of its overall effect on the election numbers. I believe 100s of 1000s voted in these areas alone. Kinda like the importance of California (over 50 electoral votes) towards the total amount. In the same way Serrekunda is extremely important. In fact, critical. Unfortunately, Mr Sallah has a strong presence in one of the heaviest voting districts and this will take away form the UDP. Anyway, I believe the numbers can be overcome (so to speak). Couple of things need to be done: 1. There must be a United Opposition 2. There must be an additional voter drive and voter education asap 3. The campaign must start now 4. The sensitization of people to issues aside from human rights must start now 5. There must be some type of media campaign very soon. Literature, TV and Radio Hopefully, I will have time to write a better analysis from my perspective ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------