Is that all you can come up with? Apparently you don't seem to have any opinion of your own. I wish you the best of luck, brother; Idon't usually waste my time with the likes of you. Take care. Have a good day, Gassa. >From: baboucar kolley <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Of goats and politics - part 3. >Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 20:41:24 -0500 > >How pitiful. Is this your special assignment to save your skin from the >wrath of BIG SAITAN YAYA? What a bunch of BULL! >No matter how you try to tenderize this meat, it's rotten, rotten and >rotten. You can't cook it any better. Food for maggots and you are their >boss. Just eat the rot and don't try to pass it on please. We know better. > >Babou > >>From: Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Of goats and politics - part 3. >>Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 17:34:59 +0000 >> >>The AFPRC having dissected and scrutinized every facet of the PPP regime >>announced a series of development projects that almost nobody believed >>achievable. The most significant of all the projects at the time, as far >>as >>I was concerned, was their commitment to invest heavily in the public >>media. >>Within a few weeks radio Kombo began regular broadcasts in the Greater >>Banjul Area and was to soon begin broadcasting nationwide. This was later >>followed by a national TV service. >> >>They effectively used the public media to showcase the blatant corruption >>and misrule of the government they overthrew. They made sure that every >>Gambian knew about all the corrupt practices of the former government and >>how they’ve come to redeem us. They were actively aided in this by calls >>from the deposed regime for sanctions to be applied on the Gambia and >>threats by some members of the international community to cut off aid. >> >>When the USAID pulled out of the country and the infamous British travel >>advice brought our tourism industry crashing within 48 hours, most >>Gambians >>rallied behind the government as most thought that our ultimate survival >>as >>a nation was at stake. Some of those opposed to the AFPRC regime did not >>help either. False rumours were being circulated that the government was >>near bankrupt and that salaries will not be paid after six months. From >>then >>on it was very simple making the majority of Gambians to believe that all >>our woes were the work of former president Jawara and his corrupt >>officials >>in a bid to come back to power. This, most Gambians were not prepared to >>have. >> >>It seems that the former regime seriously underestimated the power of the >>media particularly the radio and television. If only they had developed >>this >>during the first republic and used it effectively for civic education or >>to >>explain to the Gambian people what plans they had for the country perhaps >>the coupe could have been averted. But no, they ruled us without having to >>fully explain anything to us. They imposed on us policies that drove us to >>near destitution without explaining the rational behind them. They imposed >>on us the 10% national development levy that nobody seems to know where >>all >>those monies went, imposed the ERP that brought so much hardship to the >>people without bothering to explain it to us, sold the GPMB, crucified our >>river transport etc, etc. (Like how some are obsessed with the human >>rights >>abuse of this regime, that is how passionately I feel about the demise of >>our river transport system). >> >>Throughout those trying times the government remained defiant and appealed >>to the people to remain calm and that God was on our side. Many began to >>express concern over the attitude of the regime especially Yahya Jammeh’s >>defiance of the international community. I was one of many who thought >>that >>he was very crude and that we deserved a more refined leader who could woo >>our development partners to come to our aid. However this view was soon to >>evaporate when during this period Jawara infuriated many when he is heard >>on >>the various radio stations insisting that his overthrow was illegitimate >>and >>that the international community should do something to restore his >>legitimate government back to power. Such calls for his restoration, when >>most Gambians believed that he had overstayed his welcome in State House >>significantly increased support for the AFPRC. Many of us who, earlier had >>reservations about the sincerity of the regime were soon to begin >>trumpeting >>their cause; especially when in answering a question posed by a Senegalese >>journalist as to whether he would be willing, as a compromise, to lead a >>three to six month transition government leading to elections that he >>would >>not contest, he (Jawara) was alleged to have insisted that the overthrow >>of >>his government was illegitimate, plain and simple. He is said to have >>insisted that the international community had a moral obligation to >>restore >>his legitimate government and that if it could be done in Haiti, why not >>in >>Gambia where a small band of army boys were imposing their will on the >>Gambian people. When I heard this, I said that’s it old Pa. I hope you >>don’t >>come back. >> >>As the weeks turned to months and there was no sign of outside >>intervention >>and the AFPRC continued to tell the people that despite the efforts of the >>enemies of the country to see them fail, they were going to deliver all >>that >>they promised the people including the restoration of the country to >>democratic civilian rule. In those days hardly a fortnight passes without >>the commissioning or initiation of a development project. During those >>trying times Lt. Jammeh and his other council members waded through pools >>of >>water and in the rain to meet the people. Thus they identified themselves >>with the suffering of the people and continued to explain to the people >>that >>they were “soldiers with a difference” whose only motive for seizing power >>was to save our country from sinking and to develop it. In all the places >>they went they asked the communities to tell them their problems for they >>will not be able to help them solve their problems if they didn’t know >>them. >>In most of these communities requests were made for the provision of basic >>things like markets, water, telephones, roads, schools, ambulances, >>clinics, >>etc., etc. In most cases they would tell them that while not making them >>definite promises, they would surely look into your problems. During the >>two-year transition period they delivered almost all that they had >>promised >>the people. Communities throughout the country had markets, schools, >>university, car parks, clinics, roads, bridges, wells, watering holes, >>telephones, a national radio and television, new airport terminal, >>hospitals, energy, etc., etc. As development project after development >>project are successfully implemented throughout the country, these are >>elaborately covered by GRTS. >> >>Having elaborated, from my own perspective, how the previous government >>played its role in putting in place this government, how the international >>community and some members of the former regime (including ex-president >>Jawara) helped to rally most of the population behind the AFPRC and how >>the >>AFPRC effectively took every advantage that came its way by effectively >>using the public media, I will next elaborate on the role played by the >>opposition, particularly the UDP, in consolidating the AFPRC/APRC rule. >> >>Have a good day, Gassa. >> >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------