Dear Hamjatta, Thanks for your constructive analysis. Your suggestions could definitely help reinforce efforts geared towards forging a stronger Opposition alliance and defeating Yaya. warmly, mariama >From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: BURNING ISSUES FOROYAA Publication >Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 20:49:52 EDT > >For a paper that has more than a decade's experience in reporting and >commenting on topical issues, Foroyaa seriously goofed here by allowing its >columns to be reduced to being a mere recycling factory of APRC rumours and >conspiratorial innuendoes. Instead of Foroyaa getting first hand >information >from the individual parties and personalities it reported about, it relied >primarily on second hand accounts of events and inferring from them grossly >erroneous stuff on the intent, manouevres and actions of some Opposition >heavy weights. Foroyaa certainly doesn't help the collective spirit when it >tendentiously make conspiratorial what is at best a genuine effort in the >preliminary engagements of ironing out wrinkles that have the potential of >hindering coalition progress. That is to say that it is perfectly normal >that >before formal negotiations take public form, backroom horse tradings - that >are invariably raucous and having the negative impact of throwing poor >light >on the collective spirit if conducted in the public eye - have to run their >course before the shape and form that the collective spirit will take is >announced to the public. Foroyaa's whining or lamenting at this backroom >horsetrading denotes and betrays its innocence in political negotiations. > >Insidiously, and with great literary adroitness, Foroyaa tried to paint a >patrimonial picture of Hassan Musa Camara's informal appointment as the >'political fixer' to work on narrowing down the differences between the >different Opposition parties. Camara's appointment as a political go >between >to finesse a common platform of action for the Opposition signally >represents >the recognition that such a role invariably involves negotiation skills and >a >lack of direct interest in who heads the Opposition Alliance. Camara, by >virtue of decades experience as a public figure who had served all areas of >gov't and led a mainstream political party and the fact that he is >ineligible >to contest the current presidential elections, was better predisposed than >anyone else to play this role without any ill-will towards and or fearing >or >favouring any political grouping. This is the context of Camara's current >role. It is not so much the 'patrimonial kingmaker' Foroyaa subtly and >deceptively tried to implant in its readerships' minds. > >Moreso, if Foroyaa was irresponsible and lazy in its reportage and >commentary >of the Opposition Alliance issue, it was surprisingly sulking and hubristic >in the way it expects cooperation to eventually take form and work. For >instance, Foroyaa commented that: > >"UDP has held rallies and invited opposition parties to join them but this >had not materialised. Analysts observe that unless the opposition reaches >an agreement on a presidential candidate it is not likely to have a joint >rally which gives the impression that a particular aspirant's candidature >has been endorsed. What is therefore of paramount importance is discussion >to determine whether a coalition is to be forged or not." > >Above all, this passage demonstrates the extent to which, say, the UDP is >ready to sell the message of cooperation. Foroyaa's assertion that the >UDP's >invitation has, as of yet, not materialised is a bit disingenuous. Perhaps, >as it applies to the PDOIS, it is true that the UDP's invitation has, as of >yet, yielded no dividends. But it is a matter of public record that UDP >rallies have and continue to be graced by such PPP heavyweights like OJ and >NCP or GPP stalwarts alike. Which takes me to Foroyaa's dissembling >argument >on why the UDP's invitation has, as of yet, not materialised; i.e., because >there has been no agreement on an Opposition Alliance for the presidential >elections, such invitations will remain unreturned or never materialise. >The >fact that PDOIS has been invited to a UDP rally and declined it and >wilfilly >reports it in its political organ, Foroyaa, does it no favours. >PDOIS/Foroyaa >also does itself no favours if it willing to sulk rather than proactively >engage its Opposition colleagues in what could be the beginning of a >fruitful >cooperation. For instance, if the UDP invites it to join it in a rally, >PDOIS >ought to accept the invitation and use it as a basis to explore ways in >which >it can stamp out misconceptions, mistrusts and misunderstanding that >continue >to stand between the different parties. Likewise, to see how cooperative >the >UDP is, PDOIS then can return the UDP's compliments by inviting the UDP to >join it in a similar forum. That way, we are no longer talking about >parties >communicating through third parties; rather, we are beginning to see a >whole >new mechanism that would greatly help foster common understanding on the >way >ahead. The collective interest and or spirit is neither served by column >inches of regurgitated APRC rumours or inferring from these rumours grossly >erroneous stuff about Opposition players and consituents. Mistrusts and >misunderstandings feed from such a parlous way of comminucation. And most >definitely not the prudent way to build common bridges to cooperate. > >Foroyaa also lamented that to this day, an agenda or a framework has yet to >be worked out to form the basis for an Opposition Alliance. Again, PDOIS >should not whine or sulk but seize the initiate and proactively come up >with >an agenda which it can publicly propose to the other parties. That way, >PDOIS >would be at the forefront of Opposition thinking and would not be reduced >to >chipping sulkily at what others have publicly tabled for the Opposition >Alliance. PDOIS has the intellectual muscle to come up with a programme >that >it feels would be the correct basis with which the minimalist programme it >favours is workable and acceptable for all parties to publicly consider for >endorsement as a framework for an Opposition Alliance. If PDOIS cannot do >this, then it makes the task of cooperation no easier if all it could come >up >with is to sulk about what others are doing or not doing? What is PDOIS >practically doing to move forward the Opposition Alliance? Instead of >reducing the columns of Foroyaa into a recycling factory of APRC lies, >disinformations and rumours, these are the intellectual arguments that >Foroyaa ought to be busying itself with. > >Foroyaa was very right to point out that: "The Opposition Must Not Be >Indecisive >The Price Of Indecisiveness Is A Weakened Opposition" If Foroyaa believes >in >its own wiseacres, it was not helping matters either by engaging in >intriguing but self-defeatist intellectual arguments or speculations about >non-existent Opposition plots or conspiracies. If Foroyaa strongly believes >in its own wiseacres, it would have by now published an Opposition Alliance >framework paper which can form the basis of mutual cooperation between all >the Opposition parties genuinely interested in the democratic health and >future of the country. > >All the best, > >Hamjatta Kanteh > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------