>From: Lamin Manneh PF <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: FWD:Counting on the Spot Is Just A Mere Dream - President Jammeh >Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 12:46:25 -0700 > >Mr. Dampha, it is a big disappointment that President Jammeh and the >IEC >rejects counting of ballots at a sport. Personally, i think it is a >good >idea to count at various polling stations because it is transparent >and less >costly. There should be no security concern if no kind of >hooliganism is not >in the making. The opposition parties, having heard all these treats >coming >from government, must be very careful and explore all worst case >scenarios >concerning on sport counting. Our political atmosphere and >composition is >slightly different from Senegal. Remember our lout groups like the >July 22 >movement, the army and NIA. These people are capable of doing >anything. The >police, army, intelligent agents and public media were all impartial >and >tolerant during the last presidential election in Senegal. Did you >not smell >a rat considering all the words coming the the APRC big wing? > >I would suggest that the opposition parties start working on >alternatives to >decentralized counting system because the IEC and Government will >probably >not bend. I strongly believe that if a united opposition front have >polling >and counting agents throughout the country, the APRC will have no >way to rig >the counting. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to cheat >elections on election day without being caught. Most irregularities >happens >before election day itself. The oppositions should also work on the >kind of >securities to put in place in order to avert any irregularities >during the >transportation of ballot boxes. I bet a competent Returning Officer >will >detect any vote rigging as soon as he/she started counting. > >One thing i will strongly recommend for next general elections is to >install >a hidden counting device in the ballot boxes that will count every >single >vote caste in each ballot box. This technology is possible since >Gambia uses >a marble ballot during election. The counting device will be hit >sensitive >engulfed in the bell inside the ballot drum. So instead having only >the >conventional bell to detect any double voting, a modified version >can be >installed to do the counting simultaneously. > >Finally, the way i conducted the last presidential election in >Janjanbureh, >i see no problem with centralized counting provided that polling >agents are >allowed to guide their political party's ballot boxes freely to >counting >centers and surrender them to their counting agents. >Cheers >Lamin PF Manneh > >>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: Re: FWD:Counting on the Spot Is Just A Mere Dream - >>President >> Jammeh >>Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 09:58:31 -0400 >> >>Beran, thanks for forwarding the various messages you sent from the >>Point >>Newspaper. The battle lines have been drawn. The Opposition wants a >>TRANSPARENT and FAIR and FREE system of vote counting and Yaya, the >>APRC >>government and the IEC want to STEAL the elections by TEMPERING >>with >>ballots >>while they are being TRANSPORTED to a CENTRAL location. As Waa >>Juwara >>stated, the Opposition is NOT going to accept this form of RIGGING. >>It will >>NOT happen. But the Opposition should NOT just stop at >>communicating this >>impasse to the moron. We should tell them in no uncertain terms >>that come >>October, Yaya is going to be evicted from the State House. Even if >>APRC >>shenanigans prevent us from having an election, the Opposition >>should >>mobilize its supporters and storm the State House and get rid of >>the >>vermin. >>Enough is enough. >> >>As has already been said, the whole world knows that the reason >>given for >>centralized counting is a bogus reason. The Gambians know that. The >>diplomats in the country know that and have already communicated >>such to >>their governments. So even before we have started, the >>international >>community has declared the elections (held under the circumstances >>Yaya >>wants), as NOT FREE AND FAIR. In common parlance this declaration >>translate >>to NO AID and LOANS from certain places. This means more suffering >>to the >>Gambian people. This means our farmers will go another five years >>without >>their groundnuts being sold. This means by 2006, instead of 61% of >>the >>country being destitute, 81% of the population will fall under that >>despicable category. If we allow Yaya to rig the election (and our >>nation >>branded as a Dictatorship), it means our people will be poorer in >>2006 than >>they are in 2001, which has registered poverty numbers only better >>than >>war-torn countries like Sierra Leone. >> >>In other words, these vermin should NOT be allowed to enslave our >>people >>further while they charter private planes to go abroad and shop >>with their >>families. Some Gambians are so poor that they CANNOT even recognize >>it when >>someone is stealing from them and giving them back the money. All >>they see >>is the money being given back to them. They will kill their own >>children to >>get that money. The Opposition has to communicate with these >>Gambians to >>inform them that they do NOT have to pay such a hefty price for >>their >>resources. They need not trade the lives of their children for some >>bogus >>‘developments’. The only price we need to pay, is get rid of that >>callous >>moron that is driving our country down. One Yaya Swiss Bank Account >>can >>finance a whole groundnut trade season and still have change to buy >>generators to electrify the country and build news hospitals and >>equip them >>and build new classrooms and man them with qualified teachers. The >>vermin >>will NOT talk about the Swiss Bank Accounts. They know they are all >>thieves. >>What Yaya has in Kanilai is only the tip of the iceberg as far as >>AFPRC/APRC >>corruption is concerned. Yankuba Touray wants to deflect attention >>by >>talking about only that when he talked about Yaya’s corruption. >>Kanilai was >>the product of CSE bribes from contracts to build roads etc. We are >>NOT >>talking about dalasi bribes. We are talking about tens of millions >>of >>dollars in Swiss Bank accounts. To lay the matter to rest and in >>the name >>of >>transparency, let Yaya reveal what happened in the Ebou Jallow >>case. Let >>the >>Attorney General’s Chambers publish the papers in that case. >> >>Yankuba Touray’s empty threats against OJ and Jawara should be >>treated with >>the contempt it deserves. OJ and his supporters should just be >>ready for >>war. The coward (Yankuba Touray, who was NOT even part of the >>‘coup’) can >>do >>NOTHING to anyone. The vermin is NOT even Gambian and now he has >>the nerve >>to have soldiers and thugs around him and go around threatening >>Gambians >>that have contributed immensely to Gambia even being a reality. >>This >>foreigner comes to the country and wants to belittle Gambians that >>helped >>get the country independence from Britain. Who does this vermin >>think he >>is? >>Just 1994 the low-life did NOT even have a home to call his own. >>Today he >>is >>running around as if his parents own the country. Isn’t this the >>vermin I >>heard naturalized to become a Gambian in 1996? These shameless >>nonentities >>are out of their minds. >> >>Fancy the super-moron (Yaya) inviting people for a debate on the >>merits and >>demerits of having ‘on site’ counting. This is someone who CANNOT >>construct >>one coherent sentence without threatening people’s lives. The >>coward is >>always trying to use force to enslave people. Now, he wants to >>debate. Does >>he realize that debate is about ‘brain-power’ and convincing >>people? This >>is >>NOT about AK-47s and using vermin like Baboucarr Jatta and Ousman >>Badjie to >>intimidate people. >> >>The Opposition should stand its ground against these bunch of >>low-lives. >>The >>bandits have nothing to offer our people but misery. We should NOT >>allow >>them to attract sanctions to the country and render our people >>poorer than >>they currently are. >>KB >> >> >>>From: Beran jeng <[log in to unmask]> >>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >>><[log in to unmask]> >>>To: [log in to unmask] >>>Subject: FWD:Counting on the Spot Is Just A Mere Dream - President >>>Jammeh >>>Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 08:44:02 -0400 >>> >>>Culled from The Point >>> >>> >>>Friday, August 10, 2001 >>> >>> >>> >>> Counting on the Spot Is Just A Mere Dream - President Jammeh >>> >>>President Yahya Jammeh, has said that there wouldn't be any >>>counting of >>>votes on the spot in the coming Parliamentary and Presidential >>>elections >>>and >>>the oppositions should not ever dreamt of such electoral practice. >>>The >>>Gambia Leader made this declaration on Saturday, before the state >>>television, during an interview with a Senegalese journalist. >>>"There is no >>>provision in the constitution which says there should be counting >>>on the >>>spot. We have 800 polling stations. Can the Police provide >>>Security for >>>all >>>the polling stations. Even without security consideration we are >>>not going >>>to do it. For 30 years there has not been counting on the spot. >>>Said >>>President Jammeh who maintained that there would be centralise >>>counting >>>explained that after the voting process the IEC will sealed all >>>boxes and >>>would be escorted by Security Personnel and party agents to >>>counting >>>stations. >>> >>>Explaining how counting is done in this country President Jammeh, >>>said >>>after >>>all votes are counted party agents who are present at the counting >>>centres >>>usually certify the results signed. "What is more free and fair >>>than this? >>>Asked President Jammeh pointing out that it would be difficult for >>>the >>>Police to contain an aggrieved crowd that is engaged in >>>quarrelling and >>>insulting. "We will need 8000 police for counting on the spot" >>>said >>>President Jammeh. Jammeh added that his opponents would always >>>alleged >>>electoral fraud when they are defeated and that the GRTS cannot >>>provide >>>800 >>>Cameras to cover the whole country on the polling day. He conceded >>>that >>>counting on the spot was done in Uganda but a similar situation >>>would not >>>be >>>done in The Gambia, because according to him "other countries in >>>the >>>sub-region might want to emulate the Gambia if that happened and >>>it might >>>created problem for Africa on the issue of democracy, President >>>Jammeh >>>argued that there is no democracy in the world and he challenged >>>any >>>Western >>>head of state, who is disputing his claim to a public debate. >>> >>>President Jammeh said he is prepared to engage anybody for debate >>>to prove >>>his assertion. According to President Jammeh the west who have >>>been >>>advocating for democracy had in the past enslaved Africans. He >>>described >>>the >>>west as crazy. Commenting on his sad moments President Jammeh made >>>reference >>>to the Farafenni Army Barracks and Kartong armed attack, in which >>>some >>>soldiers were killed. The Gambian leader also cited the past >>>foiled coup >>>attempts. President Jammeh also made reference to the April 10 and >>>11 >>>student unrest, claiming that the students were used to revolt >>>against his >>>government. He also highlighted the achievements recorded by his >>>government >>>especially in the areas of health, education and agriculture. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>_________________________________________________________________ >>>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at >>>http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp >>> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>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/intl.asp >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>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/intl.asp > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------