>From: Musa Jeng <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Jawara --- Come-back Kid? >Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:48:15 -0400 > >Unseating an incumbent Government in Africa can be a very difficult ordeal. Obviously, there >are hosts of reasons, one in particular is what Ndey Jobarteh referred in her posting, the politics of >Patronage. The electorate making what they consider as a wise decision, ridding with a winning horse, which >is usually the party with the media, the government, the development programs, the arbiter of law and order >and all the other perceived benefits that come with it. There is also another important phenomena, especially >in Africa, people’s emotional and psychological inclination of who should be the leader. This person is seen >as a messiah, who is somehow ordained to govern, a personality cult-like, and to go against that force is >seen as going against the will of God, or nature, take your pick. > >Unfortunately, seven years of misrule has given Yaya Jammeh, like any other African despot these >aforementioned advantages. And with all the political strategizing and punditry about the October Election, >the wild card that can make all the difference is in Mr.Dampha’s piece, the return of Jawara. For starters, I >am not a supporter of Jawara, and my analysis is purely an opinion that I strongly believe can help in the >unseating of President Jammeh, which I am frustratingly looking forward to. President Jawara is one >individual who was once seen as a messiah, a winning horse and was seen as ordained by some force to govern. >This is one individual who can still connect with the Gambian electorate. He has effectively done it for >thirty years, and this is something not to underestimate. For a moment forget about pros and cons of his >thirty-year rule, what he has done wrong or right, and focus only on the political chessboard. I consider >myself a fairly sophisticated follower of Gambian politics, politically speaking, and also not a supporter of >President Jawara. Two years ago, I had an opportunity to attend a rally conference in Atlanta, in fact I >reported to the GL about that meeting. I went into that conference with my anti-Jawara sentiments and left >that meeting, not a born again Jawara supporter, but at least respected his argument. I am totally convinced >that the man has what it takes to connect with the Gambian people. As Dampha indicated, he is one person that >can vindicate the PPP Government, or at least defend his record. Jawara is one person that can be very >effective in finally challenging the APRC government from Banjul to Koina, not as a leader of the Opposition, >but as one of the leaders of the Alliance party to unseat Jammeh’s misrule. Gambians will come out in droves >to listen to the ex- President and this will give him an opportunity to tell his side of the story. I >personally believe that this is one wild card that would be politically suicidal for the opposition not to >play. Oh! I know of the counter argument, a political has been, been their for thirty years, corruption, >political cammatose and all the other yada yada yada, and I have personally made that case before and can >still make them, but not in this vein, and still look what the alternative is. At this crossroad of our >country’s political, economical and survival in every aspect, I honestly believe that the ex-President can >play a vital role in making it possible for the Opposition to win come October 2001 > >Mr.Dampha, in his piece mentioned security and safety of the ex-President, and to that I will say, >Mr.President, you owe that much to the Gambian people, and this is one move worth risking your own life. And >if you if you fail to take this opportunity and go back to the Gambia and fight for your believes, you will >never forgive yourself. Remember that the Gambian people are yet to hear your own defense from the horse’s >mouth, and win or loose that is worth all the risks in the world. Frankly, Gambia belongs to all of us, and >who governs should be peacefully decided by the people, and no single individual should have a monopoly on >this, and maybe it is time for Jammeh and everyone else to know that this country belongs to all of us. >Finally, my political instincts tells me this election is still for Jammeh to win, but with the Jawara twist >under the leadership of Ousainou Darboe, the Opposition can win by a land slide, and for that to happen, it >should be all out war for the future of our country. > >Musa Jeng > > > >Dampha Kebba wrote: > > > News from the BBC that Jawara might go to Gambia in time for the October > > Election, is a welcomed one. Here is a chance for the man to vindicate > > himself. Power was unlawfully usurped from him by a bunch of bandits seven > > years ago. These low-lives should NOT prevent him from going back to the > > country he worked for for the better part of his productive life. There are > > still many people in the country that love the ex-president. Those people > > should come together with the current Opposition and give the elder > > statesman a hero’s welcome. > > > > These bandits currently running our country have nothing over Jawara. > > According to the White Paper that was supposed to impose a ban on Jawara’s > > political activities, the only corruption this government is accusing Jawara > > of, is the transfer of Jawara’s life savings from the then Meridien Bank > > after the president left the country. Nothing was said about crude oil or > > other corrupt activities these bandits were talking about in order to > > justify hijacking our country. > > > > The Opposition on the ground should set up a tight security apparatus for > > the former president. The international community should be lobbied to hold > > Yaya responsible for the safety and welfare of Jawara if he decides to > > return to the country. If anything happens to him, Yaya should pay with his > > own life. I am confident that nothing will happen to Jawara, just like > > nothing happened to other Decree 89 politicians. The cowards now know that > > they will be held accountable for their actions. It has began to dawn on > > them that this party is over. Pretty soon, they will be hoist in courts to > > account for their crimes. They know that. > > > > I respectfully counsel the current Opposition leaders to engage OJ and other > > PPP members in the country and encourage them to convince Jawara to come > > back home and return to political life. The Opposition can work with the PPP > > militants and the diplomats in the country to ensure Jawara’s safety. Once > > he is in the country, the Opposition should provide him with a stellar > > security detail and encourage him to tour the country and campaign for the > > presidential candidate the current Opposition is going to field in the > > coming election. Who best to defend the PPP record and discredit these APRC > > bandits than Jawara himself? Jawara owe it to the Gambian people to explain > > how well his government was doing before these bandits stepped in to render > > the country backward and end up making the Gambian people poorer than they > > were seven years ago. Jawara should explain what he would have done if he > > was the president the last seven years with millions of dollars of debt and > > aid money coming into the country. In short, Jawara should tackle APRC if > > they want to run on the PPP record, while the current Opposition focus on > > their plan for the country and Yaya’s mishandling of the country the past > > seven years. > > > > History will treat Jawara kindly if he returns to the country and selflessly > > helps to get rid of Yaya. But his return should be premised on an adequate > > security apparatus to be put in place by an Opposition Alliance. The current > > Opposition should field a presidential candidate as soon as possible and ask > > for the support of the Decree 89 politicians. One of the promises the next > > president might want to give the Decree 89 politicians is that the age limit > > for presidential candidates will be eradicated. With the imposition of term > > limits, we do NOT need this upper age limit. That is one concession that > > might be attractive to the Decree 89 politicians that Yaya CANNOT give them. > > There are many more which I trust our leaders on the ground will negotiate > > on as soon as possible in their quest to form an Opposition Alliance between > > Decree 89 politicians and the current Opposition. > > > > Finally, I hope the current Opposition sees Jawara’s impending return as a > > positive thing for the Opposition. Let the man come and defend his record > > and vindicate himself. The current Opposition should give him all the > > support he needs in order to help the next presidential candidate defeat > > Yaya. > > KB > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > 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. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------