KB, Thanks for the poweful piece on an important topic- the Oct election. I must say though that with recent pronouncement of the IEC he dice is cast. They are ready to rig!!But everyone expects that. Imagine the reason Roberts gave for not supporting onsite counting- post counting security. Laughable indeed. The IEC should be more concerned with making sure that elections are free and fair. Post - election security issues are not issues for the IEC. In any event violence as we know it in recent times has been perpetrated on Gambians by the security forces, or by aprce supporters. So if that is the main concern, they should simply refrain from inciting violence and thre would be no threat to security after the onsite count. But KB, I am not so sure that as things stand, boycott should be the response, because boycott or not these people are going to make sure that the results favor them. The real answer is for the opposition leaders, in addition to viewing the election as an "existential" issue, (as Karamba aptly put it), to be prepared to REJECT doctored results and to make sure that a new aprc regime does not rule. This means taking to the streets. Here again, the prospects are not good because, so far Gambian opposition leaders have not demonstrated the courage to take on this illegal regime safe through letters, petitions and meaningless court actions, under a non-functioning judiciary. Consider, for example, the recent lame petition sent to the president by the banned political leaders on the decree 89 as published in the Independent of July 16, 2001. I paste it below for those who did not see it. In this petition, the petitioners are aguing about the legitimacy of Decree 89 and for the president to make amends etc. A big joke! What makes them think that this man after all these years and after all the recent revisions of the constitution to meet his personal needs, would now say: "Ok you guys have a point, this decree is now annulled". The contents of this petition shpould have been simple: Ban the decree or we will unban ourselves, come what may. Also for the active opposition parties, they should say that rigged elections will not be tolerated, come what may. On that premise, they can boycott and then be prepared to own the streets until justice prevails. AT ----- Banned Politicians Protest The Independent (Banjul) July 16, 2001 Posted to the web July 16, 2001 Alhagie Mbye Banjul, the Gambia Reliable sources close to State House say leaders of political parties banned under Decree 89 have petitioned President Jammeh urging him to immediately lift the ban to enable them exercise their fundamental rights as citizens of The Gambia. According to the sources, the petition criticised President Jammeh for what its authors call his reluctance to lift the ban just a few months before the polls. The president, according to the sources was reminded by the politicians' petition to keep a promise he made to the Commonwealth and the international community about repealing the decree before the October polls. The politicians insisted that in the interest of justice, fair play and democracy, the decree should be declared null and void. The politicians maintained that Decree 89 is unjustifiable and discriminatory in the face of the political activities of other former politicians banned, some of whom have thrown their weight behind the ruling APRC. According our sources, the petition was assented to by leaders of the erstwhile National Convention Party (NCP) of Sheriff Mustapha Dibba, the former Gambia Peoples' Party (GPP) of Assan Musa Camara, and the PPP represented by former Agriculture Minister Omar Jallow. They said they would not hesitate to outline that Decree 89 is not in consonance with the democratic constitution and that it was time President Jammeh knew about their concern for the country's political situation. When our reporter contacted Assan Musa Camara of the GPP, he confirmed the petition, adding that it has already been sent to President Jammeh. Mr. Camara said the petition sought to impress upon the president the nullifying nature of the decree and why it should be removed from the statue books where its continuous existence was no longer acceptable or desirable. Mr. Camara however, noted that they do not want to publicise the contents of the petition now. Sheriff Dibba of the NCP, on his part, promised to contact The Independent regarding the matter later. Omar Jallow (OJ) who is currently involved in a court battle against the government over the constitutionality of the decree was not available for comments.. >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Vote-Counting ---- Boycott October Elections >Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 11:14:11 -0400 > >Now that Gabriel Roberts has unashamedly acknowledged in public that he is >impotent, the little confidence the Opposition Parties reposed on him has >been compromised. Clearly this man cannot be trusted to do what is right in >the coming elections. If this nonentity continues to run the show at the >IEC, the Opposition Parties should NOT even continue to meet with him. What >man with influence will agree one thing with the Parties, and then renege >on >his word the moment he talks to Yaya and Yaya offers a contrary view? > >Can this man be trusted on Election Day to announce results that would show >that Yaya lost the elections? Ten-year-old Gambians know that Gabriel >Roberts will NOT do that. To facilitate their task to rig the elections, >they (APRC and Roberts) want to centralize the vote counting. That way >ballot boxes can be tampered with as they are moved from polling stations >to >regional centers where the votes should be counted. Centralizing the >counting will also ensure that fewer people will have to be corrupted in >order to announce bogus results for Yaya. > >The shenanigans of these vermin is so transparent that it is laughable. The >Opposition Parties did good by walking out on the APRC crony. He is at his >position for one reason only: to RIG elections for Yaya. As a follow-up, >the >Parties should refuse to deal with Roberts until everyone is convinced that >the man is potent. If he has to clear every significant decision with Yaya, >then why deal with the nonentity? Let us go straight to Yaya and deal with >him. Dealing with Gabriel Roberts just adds 'legitimacy' to the whole >process and makes things appear as if we are in a democratic environment. >This is a Dictatorship where Yaya is the only one making the major >decisions. > >Let us not compromise on this issue. If the votes are not counted at the >polling stations, then we should not participate in the elections. If >Gabriel Roberts continues in this cronyism, we should not participate in >the >elections. Do people think that on Election Day if Gabriel Roberts goes to >Yaya to 'clear' the results, Yaya will 'allow' Roberts to declare results >that will say that Yaya lost? To show that he is indeed independent of >Yaya, >Roberts has to deliver on this 'vote counting' issue and other vital issues >affecting the campaigns (such as media access). Roberts also has to address >the 'challenges' to the voter registers. > >If Roberts does NOT address these matters favorably, the Opposition should >boycott the elections and prepare their supporters to go and flush Yaya out >of the State House when his mandate expires in October. >KB > >_________________________________________________________________ >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. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------