Comrade Conteh I have been following this debate but could not bother to keep quiet on this issue of vote-buying. Most of us define or regard vote-buying as the system whereby a voter receives cash in exchange for abstention. I am afraid under the dubious political tactics used by the PPP/APRC respectively, it is not. Vote-buying as I said to Yus consists of inducing,bribing voters. This practice has always been unlawful even during the PPP era. Comrade Conteh I understand you were a staunch militant of NCP in its hey days. NCP have never advocated for a boycott except on one occasion when it decided not to participate in the Local Government Elections of 1982/1983. They decided to boycot on the grounds that the Gambia was still under a state of emergency. Coming to this talk of boycotting an election, we are million miles away from it. The Opposition must first come up with proposals before advocating for a boycott. At present, Halifa Sallah has given us PDOIS's position concerning the forthcoming elections, UDP/NRP are currently challenging the sacking of Bishop Johnson as IEC Chairman. What we have not seen yet is the holding of a multi-party conference to remedy the situation. With this in mind, the question of boycotting should be put on hold. Have a wonderful day Sanusi --- MLJ Conteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Mr. Owens: > > Your analysis on vote buying and comments by > Yankuba Touray is serious. How can the opposition > guarantee a free and fair election? > > My position is that the opposition must set > conditions > and if they are not agreed to, the best way forward > is > to boycott elections. It does not make sense to > participate in an election when the APRC exhibits > intolerance and a desire to violate elections laws. > > Naphiyo, > > Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh > > ------Original Message------ > From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Sanusi=20Owens?= > <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: May 18, 2001 9:47:43 AM GMT > Subject: Re: My opinion. - Kebba Dampha > > > Yus > > I have enjoyed your arguments with KB but I beg to > defer with your analysis. > > Vote-Buying was certainly the main cause for the UDP > to lose its Kiang seat. It seems you have literally > confined vote-buying to that of cash in exchange for > abstaining. I am afraid vote-buying goes beyond > that.There are other devices which constitute vote > buying. A classic example is where a voter is given > cash and being told to swear by either the koran or > bible to switch allegiance to another party. Its a > pity your beloved grand father(RIP) is no longer > with > us, he would have been in a better position as to > tell > us how GPP were losing possible strong-holds to PPP > due to vote buying during the 1987 General Election. > Seats like Kantora, Lower Niumi, Fioni East, Kantora > were easily won through vote-buying. > Based on information received from reliable sources > vote-buying was used to capture the Kiang seat. This > practice is however illegal under the Elections > Decree > > 1995. > Another factor which contributed to UDP losing this > seat was the inducements imposed on the people of > kiang. Didn't we hear Baba Jobe urging Fabakary > Jarjue > to stand down from the contest and will be offered a > lucrative job within APRC, What do you call this? > This > is actually illegal according to the Electoral laws > of > the Gambia. I am sure you will call it another piece > from Radio Kang Kang but please go through the > archives of www.africanews.org and you will notice > what I am certainly stating. With regards to your > claim that how come UDP retained Central Baddibu, we > heard Suku Singateh NAM of Lower Baddibu promising > 200 > former supporters of UDP from Njabakunda that they > will get tractors if they vote for APRC. Is this > legal or not? based on the provisions of the > Election > Decree, APRC were breaching the rules by making some > economic threats. > > Yus > > I am pretty impressed with your statistics but find > it > difficult to concur that UDP would have lost if > there > were no VOTE-BUYING/INDUCEMENTS. > > Have a wonderful day > > Sanusi > > > > > --- Yusupha C Jow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > KB: > > > > I was going to respond to your post yesterday but > my > > postings had reached the > > daily quota (6) by the time of your last posting. > > So my responses were > > rejected by some silly message which informed me > > that only the list manager > > was worthy of this privilege ( more than 6 > > messages). > > > > It is extremely refreshing to see you partially > > emerge from the shell called > > 'voter buyout'. At least you have acknowledged > the > > possibility of other > > reasons for the loss. > > > > The premise for the buyout theory is extremely > shaky > > for several reasons: > > > > 1. The number of absentees was roughly equal to > the > > amount during the > > parliamentary elections in 1996. That time > around, > > almost 800 voters were > > absent. The opposition won then. Was there voter > > buyout then too? Or does > > this strengthen the 'voter apathy' theory which > > others have postulated as a > > reason for low voter turnout? > > > > 2. Let's assume that your buyout theory is > > legitimate for a minute here. > > Don't you think claiming all 1000 of the absentees > > to make up for the 800 > > vote loss is pushing it a bit too far? This would > > assume a 100% voter > > turnout, an unprecedented event in the history of > > The Gambia and the World > > perhaps. Even if 801 out of the 1000 absentees > > voted for the UDP resulting > > in a 1 vote margin for the opposition, a record > for > > voter turnout would be > > set (over 95%). > > > > 3. On the alleged confessions of Baba Jobe and the > > APRC, we need more hard > > evidence than a story from Radio Kang Kang. The > > fact remains that there is > > no hard evidence which supports these claims. An > > admission to vote buying by > > the APRC, would be grounds for the UDP to go to > > court for the reversal of > > election results. Why didn't the UDP take up this > > strategy if there was hard > > evidence that this was indeed true? You call this > > irrefutable evidence! And > > no Jokes from Jobe please. > > > > 4. On the thousands of voter card story, it sounds > > like those extremely > > frivolous Bantaba or barber's shop topics which > have > > no basis. There are > > just too many frailties with this story and it > would > > be an absolute waste of > > time trying to point them out. A school kid of > > about 12 would be able to > > figure this one out. > > > > 5. The Kebba and Baldeh money exchange deal is a > > remote possibility. But > > taking this as gospel is to assume an overwhelming > > majority of Kiangkas have > > no integrity or common sense. This is hard to > > believe because from my > > experiences in The Gambia, people still do have > > pride despite the > > overwhelming amount of poverty there. > Nevertheless, > > this contrived story > > loses its credibility completely when you state > that > > Kebba, despite being an > > APRC supporter, was somehow part of the entourage > > which delivered the pile of > > uncounted ballots rumored to be in the 1000s to > the > > UDP candidate. And I am > > accused of speculating here? > > > > Let's look at your other reasons for a moment > here: > > > > Tribalism is not illegal in The Gambia in the same > > way racism is not illegal > > in the USA. If your allegations are true, Buba > > Baldeh lead a dirty campaign > > but this is nothing new to politics back home. > > Yahya Jallow (ex-comissioner > > of Basse) was one of my father's best friends. He > > is definitely an excellent > > gentleman and probably would not associate with a > > party stooped in tribalism. > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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