I've been reading and keeping quiet but I'm beginning to feel nervous. There are elections in October. That is three months away!!! Publicly abolishing Decree 89 was a very clever stunt. It will make the USA feel good but this close to an election and without the legal revoking it has not changed much. My concerns are really centring around scutinity of the election and access to tne media for opposition parties. The IEC should be pressured into requiring that GRT gives equal air time. Somehow news and other programs need to be monitored for bias OR ELSE GRT should publicise that it is a propaganda outlet for Jammeh. Also if the current USA ambrassador to Gambia has finished his term and the likely successor will not be comfirmed by the US Senete until September, then who is reporting on things. I know that there are many other staff members at an embassy, but it seems almost that a blind eye is being turned to the lead up to the election. Are any countries sending obsevers? I am assuming that there is not going to be a bouycout of these elections as 3 months is pretty short and no one seems to pushing that stand. If ballot boxes are going to be taken to a central location - is there going to be provision for obsevers from all parties to travel with them? I'll leave at that for the moment but I am worried that nothing is going to change. Janet PS Please forgive the spelling mistakes, I can't get spellcheck to work in this window. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------