Saul, thanks for your post. This a good revisit of the short history of the AFPRC/APRC. They turned back on practically everything they promised. I hope all well meaning Gambians to put aside their love for the party of their choice and take the side of truth and the common good. The October elections is our last stop. If we miss it our doom is sealed. We cannot afford this folks. I therefore, appeal to all and sundry to put all we have got, time, effort, money, resistance, etc. to make this last stop happen. For, we got everything to loose. If we think times are hard for our peoples now, we have seen anything yet. Imagine all the bad luck that awaits us if the APRC should prevail in October (by crook or with our collusion), and on top of it, we have Africa's worst nightmare - HIV/AIDS to take up speed. As I write, our peoples are dying or are very ill with this disease. A conservative estimate have it as 40 cases per month reported at the MRC alone. Extrapolate that number with the many partners of these victims and the countless others who have it but don't know and those who know they have it but keep it secret. I know you'll know the severity of our situation, but a word to the wise is always sufficient. I am very optimistic, but very much afraid of the uncertainties and the many unknown variables that form the nucleus of election outcomes in our continent.
As I write, we still do not know whether we in the diaspora would be able to exercise our right to suffrage. If (big IF), we can't vote and are separated by geography, ladies and gentlemen, the only force we have to participate in rolling the Leviathan is to financially support those in the trenches. So, if anything, all of us know that money is not everything in life, but is 90% of everything we do in this world as we know it. In the event we can't vote, we still have one foot forward (better than none). The AFPRC (yes, they are still army thugs) knows how we feel about them and that is now very evident to them after Joe Joof and Tombong Jatta gave them an eye witness report (seeing is believing). They would do whatever it takes to prevent us from exercising our right to suffrage because they know they do not have our vote and we are their worst enemy. This being the case, all we have to do is to help the opposition raise their voice to show our peoples why they should not vote for the thugs. If all of us in the diaspora put in just $10, we can really be a presence and a voice to be listened to. It is not just enough for us to support our loved ones back home, we also have an obligation to the common good. National responsibility requires us to support GAMBIA not the personalities. Please let us not be known as the "talkatives", yes, some of us who ventured in the Gambia lately have heard people call us that. They say we talk, and talk, and do nothing for the country. I know a lot of people have reservations with the fund drive, but folks, please reconsider your positions. Hardly a day passes that we don't demand something from our peoples, the opposition, etc. Yet, we do not want to contribute not a penny to uplift ourselves. Recently, we asked the opposition to to come to us and they came. They used their meager resources and not only did we not come to see them, but we also left them more broke than they were before. This is not right and in grossly unfair to them. Let us stop asking too much of our people and start reimbursing them for all their sacrifices. If Gambia is good, its for all, if its bad, its just for those who are in the kitchen and feeling the heat - please do not tell me that you feel the pain more than those on the ground that are beaten, jailed, or otherwise, everyday.
To the opposition parties, time is running out. The people are rallying behind you, but how come no one knows your platforms? To date, the only party that has told us their platform, be it economic, social, etc., is PDOIS. Those days of just riding on charisma are over. Even the AFPRC is trying to peddle gimmicks to our peoples and the international community, such as "vision 2020"; "health for ALL"; "electricity for all"; "more schools"; and other traveling salesman type pitches. It is not just enough to tell the people that the AFPRC regime are thugs, thieves, murderers, lairs, etc., that is common knowledge. Please tell the masses that are employed how you can revamp the economy; the poor and hungry farmers how your economic formula would change their lives for the better; give future graduates hopes of a better future; improve the infrastructure; improve agricultural development; improve tourism; and create development that is sustainable. It is very frustrating to support someone and do not know what they stand for. We jump all over PDOIS, why, because they are the only ones that laid out a coherent and complete platform. How come then, we do not demand to know the platforms of the NRP and UDP? Every time I confront Gambians about supporting the opposition parties financially, the first thing they ask me is, "how can we support someone without a platform....?" At that point, the only platform I can point to is the one I heard, that of PDOIS'. Folks, we got to know where you stand on issues. You heard people say it on this list, loud and clear, that they want to know your position on issues before they put their money on you, please meet them half way. We have less than four months and its up to us all to get rid of the AFPRC - Collectively. At least start meeting behind closed doors to explore the feasibilities of a coalition. The people want you to do that for a reason.
On that note, please support the opposition by sending your donation to The Gambian Association of Chicago, P.O.Box 3324, Oak Park IL 60303-3324. Put my name on the check, Joseph Sambou and whether you want your name listed. Thanks to all that donated.
Chi Jaama
Joe Sambou
>From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fwd: Independent article
>Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 08:15:17 -0700
>
>-- Independent Newspaper <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> > Published by The Independent Newspaper
> >
>
> > Extreme errors
> >
> >
> >
> > In the recent past, President Jammeh seemed to have
> > disagreed with the
> > Independent
> > Electoral Commission (IEC) in the demarcation of
> > constituency boundaries
> > without going to
> > the people. He was quoted, as saying that he will
> > dissolve the IEC
> > after the elections, (The
> > Point Friday June 1, 2001). He has said that the
> > IEC has no mandate to
> > enact laws.
> > Therefore he said his government would not accept
> > any individual or
> > institutions that are out
> > to sabotage their development efforts. He made
> > those remarks whilst
> > addressing a meeting
> > with the committee of elders from Banjul on
> > Wednesday 30th May. He
> > advised the elders
> > to preach the message of peace, discipline,
> > tolerance and development in
> > their
> > communities. Secretaries of State Ousman Badjie and
> > Nai Ceesay also
> > told the delegation
> > that Banjul will still retain its three
> > constituencies and urged the
> > people of Banjul to register
> > for the forthcoming general elections.
> >
> > In another development, the IEC is said to be
> > holding talks with the
> > country’s political
> > parties over which method of vote counting to
> > implement when voting ends
> > on Election
> > Day. With the exception of PDOIS which still
> > boycotts IEC meetings
> > following the sacking
> > of Bishop Solomon Tilewa Johnson at the end of last
> > year, all political
> > parties, APRC,
> > UDP, NRP and GDP are said to be taking part in the
> > discussions that may
> > determine
> > whether the counting of votes should take place at
> > polling stations
> > immediately after the
> > casting of votes.
> >
> > Communiqués from the parties addressed to the
> > administrative secretary
> > of the IEC have
> > subscribed to the counting of votes at various
> > polling stations
> > immediately after the closure
> > of voting. The parties expressed the belief that
> > this measure would be
> > fairer, transparent
> > and less expensive in terms of logistics to conduct
> > the elections. They
> > also observed with a
> > certain degree of apprehension that the
> > transportation of ballot boxes
> > from remote areas to
> > divisional headquarters by security agents who have
> > been known to be
> > partisan in favour of
> > the ruling party. They added that during the 1996
> > elections, some party
> > agents witnessed
> > what they called ballot fixing while others were
> > intimidated, harassed
> > and even beaten by
> > security personnel, and based on that experience,
> > the opposition believe
> > that a considerable
> > part of the electorate are reluctant to exercise
> > their voting rights,
> > believing that vote-rigging
> > through force will mar voting day.
> >
> > Meanwhile the APRC has expressed reservations over
> > the suggestions of
> > counting votes at
> > polling stations immediately after the polls close.
> >
> > The ruling APRC has refused so far to accept the
> > method suggested by the
> > opposition.
> > According to a letter from the party dated 12th June
> > and signed by the
> > deputy
> > administrative secretary Kebba Kinteh the APRC
> > leadership demanded to
> > know the
> > rationale behind what he called the abrupt departure
> > from the
> > traditional method of counting
> > which it argued has proven to be hitch-free,
> > transparent and of less
> > security risk.
> >
> > The APRC is of the opinion that the IEC should liase
> > with the government
> > particularly the
> > security forces and not political parties if an
> > informed decision on the
> > matter is to be taken
> > (The Independent page 1 and 2, 15 – 17 June 2001).
> >
> > My first advice is to PDOIS a party I do not belong
> > to but whose
> > principle I respect. Their
> > enlightening of the electorates, particularly the
> > booklets they wrote on
> > the Constitution
> > during the stormy weather of the transition to
> > democratic rule is
> > commendable. Can
> > PDOIS not see from the references of The Point and
> > The Independent
> > quoted above the
> > reasons for sacking Bishop Johnson or do they want
> > APRC or the court to
> > tell them? In
> > my view, all parties should compromise their
> > principles in the interest
> > of the country just to
> > give a new lease of life to politics in this
> > country. Otherwise, it
> > will be like sacrificing the
> > country for PDOIS’ principles. Please blend your
> > energies and
> > experiences for the good
> > of the country.
> >
> > As for UDP, please forget about pursuing Mahawa
> > Cham’s victory in court
> > and work for
> > the coming together of the many heads of the
> > opposition parties to
> > rescue this country from
> > the clutches of the APRC. The only party that the
> > APRC often accuse of
> > sowing seeds of
> > discord and tribalism is the UDP. Well all those on
> > the side of God and
> > the truth who are
> > concerned with the proper development of The Gambia
> > know why. It is
> > because the party
> > carries a lot of support as evidenced by the 1996
> > presidential election
> > results which
> > appeared after the declaration of the results by the
> > PIEC, in a foreign
> > newspaper. From
> > then to now, the UDP is APRC’s headache and will
> > remain so as long as
> > the political
> > complexion of The Gambia remains the same.
> >
> > As for the APRC, the party has a problem without
> > seeing it, much more is
> > to listen, even to
> > opposing views which are progressive and for the
> > good of the country.
> >
> > I must admit, I supported the AFPRC takeover from
> > the 25th July, 1994
> > after I read the
> > interview with the then Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh by
> > Rodney D. Sieh of the
> > Daily
> > Observer, who was also the BBC correspondent in
> > Banjul, together with an
> > earlier one by
> > Momodou Musa Secka, also of the Daily Observer, at
> > State House on Friday
> > 22nd July,
> > 1994 (see Daily Observer Monday 25th July, 1994,
> > page 8 and 9) under the
> > heading of
> > “Why we took over”. Parts of the interview, which
> > influenced my
> > support, were as
> > follows: -
> >
> > Daily Observer: How soon should we expect a new
> > government to be named?
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: A new government will be named as soon as
> > possible. We are not
> > naming a
> > government now, because we need the support of the
> > civilians,
> > intellectuals and patriotic
> > Gambians who are clean, who will make sure that they
> > serve in their
> > appointments without
> > fear or favour and for the good of every Gambian.
> >
> > D.O: What are your plans for the establishment of
> > democracy, which was
> > one of your main
> > objectives for taking over?
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: Well, as soon as a new government is
> > instituted, which is
> > composed of mostly
> > civilians, democracy would be in place and we will
> > welcome all
> > contributions from all
> > corners of the country to make sure that everything
> > is done in the right
> > way and that
> > transparency and accountability will be the order of
> > the day. We will
> > not tolerate any sort
> > of corruption; we will not be secretive in anything
> > that we do. We want
> > the press and the
> > international community, including Gambians, to
> > criticise us where we go
> > wrong. We are
> > not here for praises; we are not here to enrich
> > ourselves. We are here
> > to set up a just
> > system that is not corruptible, to make sure that
> > the living standards
> > of Gambians will be
> > augmented to an acceptable standard within the
> > limits of our resources.
> > But we are not
> > here to use the limited resources of the country for
> > our own good at the
> > detriment of the
> > masses.
> >
> > D.O: Will you make any effort to question them about
> > the whereabouts of
> > government
> > funds?
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: Well, it is up to them to come back as
> > Gambians and account for
> > whatever they
> > have to account for. But as for the president, we
> > all know that we owe
> > it to him that the
> > name of The Gambia has reached that international
> > level and we respect
> > him. But the
> > people who were behind him misled him. They were
> > corrupt, did whatever
> > they wanted to
> > do because he was too lenient. We have no intention
> > of harming him –
> > the former
> > president – or humiliating him. We want to treat
> > him as an elderly
> > man. He is free to come
> > to the country as a Gambian citizen and we can
> > provide for his security
> > if he needs it, and
> > from time to time we will need to consult him. We
> > will not sideline
> > him; we will consult him
> > for advice. We have nothing against him, but the
> > people behind were
> > doing whatever they
> > wanted, uncontrolled.
> >
> > D.O: So how soon, then, can the ordinary Gambian
> > say, “I am looking
> > forward to free and
> > fair elections”, what timetable can you give.
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: Well, we are not giving any timetable for
> > free and fair
> > elections. That does not
> > mean that we are here to stay long; we are not here
> > for that.
> >
> > D.O. How long, then?
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: I cannot give you a fixed timetable because
> > we have to a make
> > sure that Gambians
> > are aware of what their rights are, what kind of
> > leader they want and
> > what type of system
> > they want to put into effect in this country, that’s
> > all. And we also
> > want to make sure that
> > the term of the presidency in this country is
> > limited. We don’t want
> > life presidency, a
> > president who will rule for decades. So from that
> > you will know that we
> > are just
> > transitional.
> >
> > D.O: So what term are you suggesting for the
> > presidency in The Gambia.
> >
> > Lt. Y.J: Well that will be up to the Gambian people.
> > I cannot decide
> > for the people. I am
> > no here to dictate what should happen to Gambians.
> > We will organise a
> > national electoral
> > commission and a referendum as well to ask the
> > people of The Gambia what
> > kind of
> > leaders they want and the term of office they want
> > that leadership to
> > serve. Certainly it will
> > not be a term that will exceed ten years. In fact,
> > ten years is too
> > much for a third world
> > country like The Gambia, so we will make sure that
> > there’s a democratic
> > system of
> > government, that will be elected by the people and
> > can be kicked out by
> > the people if they
> > don’t want it, peacefully, and through the ballot
> > box, and that’s all we
> > want (Daily
> > Observer, Monday 25th July, 1994 page 8 and 9).
> >
> > A delegation of the AFPRC led by Chairman Jammeh
> > visited Senegal and at
> > the end of that
> > visit, he was quoted as telling the press that the
> > AFPRC will hand over
> > to civilians after four
> > years. On his return he was quoted as telling the
> > press that what he
> > told the Senegalese
> > press was that AFPRC will rule for years before
> > handing over to
> > civilians. However, when
> > the AFPRC presented their timetable for democratic
> > constitutional rule
> > in the presence of a
> > large crowd including the diplomatic community, on
> > Monday 24th October
> > 1994 at the
> > Independence Stadium, it stretched from November
> > 1994 to December 1998,
> > a period of
> > four and a half years. What a beautiful coincidence
> > with the Senegalese
> > press’s wonderful
> > guess was my reaction; what was yours Mr. reader or
> > did you not hear
> > it? Indeed that
> > timetable gave rise to reactions of all types at
> > home and abroad. This
> > necessitated the
> > setting up of a National Consultative Committee,
> > which submitted its
> > report in January
> > 1995. The AFPRC yielded to the wishes of the
> > majority of Gambians to
> > arrange to return
> > the country to democratic rule in two years with
> > effect from 22nd July
> > 1994. I withdrew
> > my support for the AFPRC when the draft constitution
> > was released
> > because I was sure
> > that the four-man Council was out to take Gambians
> > for a ride and they
> > had an agenda to
> > rule for more than a decade as opposed to the
> > Chairman’s promise in his
> > interview with
> > Rodney D. Sieh that ten years was too much for a
> > third world country
> > like The Gambia. A
> > committee set up by the council, the Constitutional
> > Review Commission,
> > after a
> > countrywide consultation, recommended two terms of
> > five years. The
> > draft of the
> > constitution did not do this at the discretion of
> > the four-man council.
> > Gabriel Roberts, the
> > then Chairman of the Provisional Independent
> > Electoral Commission
> > confirmed this in an
> > exclusive interview with the Daily Observer by
> > stating that “a great
> > majority of Gambians
> > had recommended that the term of the president
> > should be limited to two
> > terms of five
> > years each which, he continued, was contained in the
> > report submitted to
> > the council” (for
> > full story see Daily Observer May 17 – 19, 1996 page
> > 1 and 14). In
> > fact, Gambians
> > should question why at the tail end of their term in
> > office the APRC
> > should embark on so
> > many constitutional amendments but still ignoring
> > the wishes of the
> > majority of Gambians to
> > limit the presidential term to two terms of five
> > years each.
> >
> > Going back to the IEC discussion with parties on
> > which method of vote
> > counting to
> > implement when voting ends on election day, the
> > truth is clear and
> > simple. Four parties are
> > taking part in the discussion and three of these are
> > in favour of the
> > counting of votes at
> > various polling stations immediately after the
> > closure of voting.
> >
> > The APRC does not support this idea, which was
> > introduced by our
> > God-fearing Bishop
> > Solomon Tilewa Johnson at the time of the Sami
> > Chieftaincy election. It
> > is said that
> > according to a letter dated 12 June and signed by
> > the deputy
> > administrative secretary
> > Kebba Kinteh the APRC leadership demanded to know
> > the rationale behind
> > what it called
> > the departure from the traditional method of
> > counting which it argued
> > has proven to be
> > hitch-free, transparent and of less security risk.
> >
> > Well it appears that consultation with government is
> > not the best in our
> > situation. I have no
> > doubt that Bishop Johnson as vice chairman of PIEC
> > and returning officer
> > for the Western
> > Division in the 1996 presidential elections learnt
> > some lessons which he
> > decided to put into
> > practice when he became Chairman of the IEC. The
> > method of vote counting
> > he has
> > introduced cannot certainly be a source of convert
> > for all parties
> > especially the weak ones.
> >
> > I suggest that the APRC start to listen to and
> > respect opposing views
> > intended for greater
> > transparency. The other side of the answer is that
> > the traditional
> > method the APRC referred
> > to as hitch-free was so until before the 1996
> > presidential elections. In
> > the history of
> > elections in The Gambia the only election, which had
> > the results that
> > later, appeared in a
> > foreign newspaper was the 1996 presidential
> > elections. I can say that
> > the PIEC made their
> > move widely known by issuing a press release over
> > Radio Gambia that some
> > results of the
> > presidential elections were going round but that
> > they were not authentic
> > because it was not
> > signed.
> >
> > I am surprised that the APRC now want us to go by
> > tradition in respect
> > of vote counting.
> > Where were the ears of the AFPRC Council members
> > when parties wanted to
> > maintain the
> > tradition of holding presidential and National
> > Assembly elections on the
> > same day? Why
> > was the ruling party conspicuously absent from the
> > reconciliation
> > meetings initiated by
> > members of the student union after the January 1997
> > elections?
> > While students were crying for justice following the
> > death of Ebrima
> > Barry, government
> > security agents caused the nation to shed more tears
> > by adding another
> > 14 young corpses
> > to that of Ebrima Barry. The European Union, the
> > international
> > community, individuals,
> > embassies and high commissions all expressed concern
> > over the matter but
> > everyone was
> > later disappointed with the cabinet’s decision to
> > reject the
> > recommendations contained in
> > the report of the Commission of Inquiry into April
> > 10. But the APRC
> > turned a deaf ear to
> > the people’s legitimate appeals for justice.
> >
> > During one of the debates of the National Assembly,
> > I heard the
> > Secretary of State for the
> > Interior Ousman Badjie saying that it was for fear
> > of revenge that the
> > white man in South
> > Africa opted for a Truth and Reconciliation
> > Commission. Yes Mr. Man of
> > Law but don’t
> > you think that it is far better than The Gambia
> > government’s amendment
> > of the Indemnity
> > Act as the basis for reconciliation and burying all
> > the truth?
> >
> > Let us all retract our politics and save our country
> > from the path of
> > destruction, which is
> > where we seem to be heading.
> >
> > Even our young people are aware that politics in The
> > Gambia has never
> > been worse than
> > what it is today.
> >
> > Let me now leave all Gambians with these wise words
> > from Maya Angelou,
> > the black lady
> > who was Bill Clinton’s choice to compose a poem for
> > his swearing in
> > ceremony. “I don’t
> > tell everything I know, but what I do tell is truth.
> > There’s a world of
> > difference between
> > truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth”. “And
> > still I rise” she
> > said “you may write me
> > down in history with your bitter twisted lies, you
> > may trod me in the
> > very dirt but still like
> > dust I’ll rise”.
> >
> > So as an opposition sympathiser, I sound critical of
> > the government but
> > what I support is
> > the truth. This is why I sometimes defend President
> > Jammeh in opposition
> > circles but he
> > embarrassed me during his ‘Meet the People Tour’
> > last year when he said
> > at a meeting in
> > the Nianija area ‘meng mang lafi mansa kunda la i te
> > mansa kunda la kodo
> > domola’ (he
> > who does not support the government will not benefit
> > from the government
> > money). This I
> > heard one night during the highlights of the tour on
> > Radio Gambia. It
> > only sent me laughing
> > as I said President Jammeh does not know but Mansa
> > Kunda has no money.
> > The money
> > belongs to all Gambians Mansa Kunda is just a
> > custodian to apply the
> > funds for national
> > development irrespective of tribe, religion or party
> > affiliation.
> >
> > Next time I shall explain what it means to belong to
> > a party but support
> > the truth at all times
> > to restore what Gambians are known for from colonial
> > times, which makes
> > us hospitable
> > peace loving and law abiding.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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