Mr. Conteh,

I am not surprised that you have Karamba coming to the rescue of the UDP. This list is not meant to say things against the opposition. I remember when some questions were raised just last week about them, it was not taken well here. One has to love this.

It is not a matter of taking these things personal, but we all know that the party begged out from the Washington talks and able to come to the States for weeks at the time of registrations. I saw that you questioned this before and there was no answer for you. I wish people like Karamba could have answered that instead of jumping on you for raising very important issues/concerns.

I know they were busy with the campaign going around the States, but they had time to refute your allegations this time. What I have realized about such people like Karamba is that they do not want to talk about the UDP as a faulted party. Most of these people leading the UDP in this country have their own acts to put together and their households to straighten up. Yet they have the feat to come to such a public arena to address national issue. I have no doubt that someone who cannot even rule a house cannot rule a nation.

I have just read some postings defending the acts of those who questioned Halifa Sallah's message in the NY meeting. Can't you get it? This is not a forum for any one else but the so called oppostion who will either write to one another behind the screens to discuss certain issues. If you are not lucky to be part of that gang, you are side lined. Sister Jamila brought some important points, but what did she get? Kebba Jobe may be pro Jammeh, but the guy talks a lot of sense, and what did he get? I have just read that he is also called not to be a real "Kebba Jobe".  My identity was questioned by Saidykhan too. The Saidykhan are only in Jarra whiles the Ceesays are all parts of the Gambia. This is scary. If you are not anti-Jammeh your name cannot even be yours.

The dictatorship going on this list is strong enough. You are either part of the group/gang or you are no body but someone in here to tap opposition parties against one another.

What a sorry state?

 

Lamin Ceesay,

Charl. WV.

>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: A Word of Caution
>Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 07:46:11 EDT
>
>Mr Conteh, I honest to goodness just wish I could for one moment fathom
>exactly what it is you want for Gambia and the people trying to do their best
>to make it a better place. For all the postings you send on Gambia-L and the
>meeting I had with you when you came to DC for the ALD you still strike me as
>an enigma. I am tempted to believe that you are passionate about removing the
>murderous regime of Yahya Jammeh and restoring a constitutional democracy and
>that is a goal you share with an overwhelming majority of your fellow
>citizens including the politicians on the ground. Where I think where you
>depart with most people is your quixotic and inflexible approach to
>formulating a solution. Does it ever occur to you that people generally have
>to be persuaded to come to a concessus? You do the Gambian cause no good by
>engaging in an orgy of self defeating harangue. You have every right to
>strongly take objections to the direction any political party takes, but it
>is utterly unfair for you to boil down our entire national question to your
>own opaque vision. You convince yourself that for reasons you have not shared
>with members of this list that the political parties are steadfastly refusing
>our collective call for a coalition. This is not true and you know it. You
>have personally met with Ousainou Darboe and he has told you that all of the
>opposition parties should come together to mount a united front and that he
>and his party are not only committed to such a front but they were actively
>pursuing that goal. He also told you the UDP is undertaking the talks with no
>conditions. He also told you he has had some progress with the NRP and would
>issue an invitation for all the opposition parties to meet as soon as he
>returns to Gambia. You have similarly heard Mr Halifah Sallah and Mr Hamat
>Bah articulate their positions regarding our calls for a united opposition.
>Our role as advocates of this important goal is to keep nudging these
>politicians towards our desire for a single front. Condemnations and
>propounding far fetched theories about the presumed motivations of
>individuals or parties is not the right way to get the job done. You have no
>facts to support your unfounded fears. You imply that the UDP is pursuing a
>selfish agenda by going to Gambians around this country and soliciting their
>support and explaining their vision for the Gambia. Since when is it
>inappropriate for politicians who by definition must interact with the
>citizens they seek to represent to go around and do just that? I have
>attended three such meetings in Newyork , DC and North Carolina and I will
>tell it is participatory democracy at it's best.You have got to help us all
>achieve our objectives for the only country we have within the context of
>what is possible and rational. You cannot force the party of PDOIS to
>promptly set aside their strong convictions that it is more democratic for
>all parties to test their strength in the first round of voting and then
>consider an alliance on the second round. This argument of theirs has merit
>even as I believe that Gambia is facing existential issues in the upcoming
>elections making defeating a government of criminals and murderers a much
>higher priority than validating the finer accoutrements of democracy.My task
>and that of others should hence focus on persuading PDOIS that a Gambia
>grounded on full-fledged democracy would best serve the legitimate interests
>of all political parties. In the end good ideas and the people who strongly
>advocate them is what is going to lead our people to better horizons.
>Misdirected outrage will do you and the causes you advocate no good. I
>suggest this as friendly advice because I know deep inside you do care. Of
>the thousands of Gambians in these United States, you are among the few who
>propose to actively work for change and it is my wish that you settle for a
>mode that can bring the most success.
>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.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------