>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- Final part >Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 19:49:09 +0000 > >The decision of the AFPRC council to retire from the Armed forces >and stand >for elections, despite their earlier pronouncements that they will >not >stand, took some members of the opposition by surprise. When the >election >campaigns began in earnest PDOIS, the oldest of the eligible >parties, >campaigned on a platform of enlightening the electorate so that they >made >informed choices. Even though PDOIS had clear-cut policies >concerning how >they planned to lead if elected, their campaign style did not yield >much >dividend. The PDOIS rallies were neither accompanied by drums and >singing >nor did they kill livestock to provide meals for those who attended >their >rallies. Without sufficient resources to enable them field in >candidates in >all the constituencies coupled with their campaign style, few >expected them >to do very well. The NRP, one of the newly registered parties, ran a >very >humorous campaign that attracted quite a few followers. Because they >also >lacked sufficient resources few expected them to do as well as they >did. The >UDP, another of the new parties, attracted more followers than the >other >parties. It seemed to have quiet a reasonable amount of resources >but >nowhere near that of the incumbent AFPRC now turned APRC. The >similarity of >the two acronyms meant that all the credibility associated with the >AFPRC >was credited to the APRC. It portrayed itself as a party that came >to save >the state from the rampant corruption and misrule of the former >regime and >to develop the country. They had abundant resources to run their >campaigns. > >While the APRC ran its campaign mainly based on their manifesto, the >UDP >seemed to run its campaign based mainly on attacking the AFPRC >record and >particularly on certain aspects of the newly approved constitution >which >they campaigned against prior to it being promulgated. They attacked >the >APRC as a corrupt party whose main motivation for overthrowing the >legitimate government of Sir Dawda was greed. They accused them of >being a >military junta disguised as a civilian party. They trumpeted the >Ebou Jallow >saga and saying very little of what they had in mind for the country >once >they win. The APRC accused them of being the same devilish and >corrupt PPP >party that wanted to reverse all the good things that the AFPRC had >done. >They were also accused of campaigning along tribal lines. > >In my opinion, one of the major mistakes of the UDP was their >failure to put >more emphasis on what plans they had for the country if elected >rather than >concentrating too much energy in responding to some of the APRC >accusations. >Because of this they were soon to be labelled as a party of >disgruntled >people who had nothing to offer the country. As the campaigns >continued >clashes soon began between their militants and those of the APRC, >with the >UDP militants often coming out of such clashes worse off. Their >militants >were routinely rounded up, making them even more determined to react >with >added militancy. Some of these militants were allegedly tortured >each time >they were arrested. > >The interesting thing about these arrests was that, rather than >addressing >these with the electorate, they seemed to be playing to the >international >community. Thus most people on the ground blamed them for their >ordeals >rather than seeing them as victims. Few paid much attention to their >complaints of illegal arrests and tortures and hence attracted very >little >sympathy. Their campaigns began to be associated with angry rhetoric >and >violence. This gave the police sufficient reason to sometimes deny >them >permits. > >Whilst the other parties used their allotted slots to address the >nation >using the public media the UDP used it to attack the government. It >could be >recalled that they were also on record condemning the APRC for >investing in >white elephant projects. The government soon refused them access to >the >public media in violation of the electoral. The government’s >explanation was >that while the other parties (NRP and PDOIS) used their allotted >slots to >sell their programmes, the UDP was engaged in insults and >incitement. >Meanwhile the APRC effectively used its more than fair share of >access to >the public media to showcase their achievements as well as what the >electorate can expect from them when elected into office. > >The UDP continued what was generally perceived as negative >campaigning that >somehow backfired. Some moderates who initially saw the election of >Lawyer >Ousainou Darbo as a positive development and his party as a credible >one >that can be trusted to lead us, began shift their allegiance to >other >parties, mainly PDOIS and APRC. Clashes between their militants and >those of >the APRC, particularly the defunct July 22nd Movement increased and >more >arrests, detentions and tortures were alleged. > >The failure of the UDP, after the presidential elections, to accept >their >defeat in good faith or challenge the results lost them some degree >of >credibility. After the elections they also failed to take full stock >of what >went wrong during the election campaign period. In my opinion, as >the main >opposition party in the country, the UDP should have by now had a >clear-cut >agenda on a number issues such as a coalition of opposition parties >or its >campaign strategy. They have had months if not years to consider it >and >formulate an appropriate strategy for it. Instead they seem to be >constantly >looking for something to condemn the APRC for. The recent gaffe by >the UDP >propaganda secretary by accusing women gender activists as >opportunists who >wanted to get into political office through the backdoor by being >nominated >does not help their cause. Other issues that the UDP has so far not >handled >in their proper perspectives are the development projects of the >AFPRC/APRC. >It would have made more sense to steer clear of these or suggest >better ways >that they could have been done rather than condemning them as white >elephant >projects. It seems to me and many others, that the UDP’s main >campaign >strategy has been too much focussed on what the APRC is doing wrong >rather >than what they would have done different. How do you expect the >electorate >in Chamoi, who have just benefited from a concrete bridge after many >years >of neglect by the previous government, to take anyone seriously if >that >person makes a blanked condemnation of all the APRC development >projects as >a waste of resources? How do you convince the electorate in >Barra/Essau that >this government is not fit to lead when they’ve just benefited from >a new >market, car park, a new ferry with the promise that another is on >its way, >and a school? To say that it does not make sense to bring in Cuban >Doctors >to the country especially posting them in the provinces because they >cannot >understand any of our local languages simply does not make sense to >the >likes of me. It is said that for one to be credible, one must be >prepared to >criticise when necessary and to give credit when and where it is >due. Hence >many people are persuaded by the APRC accusation that the UDP is a >party of >disgruntled people who have nothing to offer the country except a >return to >the old ways. Another issue of concern to many is that because >president >Jammeh threatens to send anyone who wants to compromise the peace >and >stability of the country “six feet deep” was followed by the UDP >leader >telling its supporters to prepare for widowhood, orphanages and >places in >Mile 2 central prisons. This, he is said to have told his supporters >at a >rally recently held in Banjul. > >I’ll conclude by saying that whether the goats will go with the >goats, >“Cherreh” or “Dahinne” is anyone’s guess. One thing I do know is >that we >cannot contemplate any form of instability or conflict within the >country. >The result will be very devastating for the whole country. At >present we are >harbouring tens of thousands of refugees who have had first hand >experience >of the consequence of chaos and conflict who, we nothing to loose, >could >very much take advantage of any conflict in the country. When we >burn >schools, loot shops or kill each other we will just be destroying >our >country and each other. Remember, you don’t play a “Zero sum game” >with your >friend or family member for what you gain is what he/she looses and >vice >versa. > >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------