Folks, there has been a lot of talk about the current situation in the Gambia as relates to formation of an alliance of the various political parties.  There is a lot of confusion and various interests are coming up with their versions of what went down.  Some claim to have reliable sources on the ground, while others claim to have an hour by hour info. feed from party insiders.  All this amounts to nothing but a waste of the readers time.  The majority of folks on this list are quiet because they want to hear from the party spokespersons and not self appointed reps.  This is not time for immaturity and some of us are clearly riding on that horse.  Whatever we are hearing from these so called people in the know could have been said to us by the parties they claim to get it from.  The questions of the day in my opinion are, why are the parties not talking to us directly?  Have we heard from all the opposition parties?  Why are some of the great announcers with clear party leanings throwing mud at other parties or anyone with a different opinion?  Is this a way of negotiating as equal partners?  We have to let events run its course and the truth will surface.  If we don't do that, then we risk handing down victory to the butcher.  This election is a referendum on the faith of Yahya.  If we continue this mud slinging in the opposition and want to move forward because two parties agree then we are asking for it.  The current confusion if continued is a loose loose result for all that want to see change in our situation.  The burden of forming a unified opposition rests on all opposition parties interested in changing Gambia for the better, and not only on those that were not at the meeting.  The UDP and PPP, with GPP abstaining, can take the ball and run with it, but victory is in jeopardy.  Either way I look at it, we have three parties outside and three parties inside the ring.  The burden of the meeting of the minds is not on those who are in the inside or outside, but on all, if we believe that all want the same outcome.  Like many have stated earlier, let's wait to hear from all the parties.  An informed decision is arrived at by getting all the facts and not from a war of words.  Let all hold their fire and allow the parties to present their sides.  I am confident that they will arrive at a decision that we all will be proud of and more importantly, Jammeh will loose in October.

 

Chi Jaama

 

Joe Sambou