>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: Re: Jawara --- Come-back Kid? >Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 14:47:37 +0000 > >Posted by Salieu Gaye on August 01, 2001 at 05:12:57: > >A BIG WELCOME TO Sir DK JAWARA. > >On last evening's BBC Focus on Africa programme former President Sir >Dawda >Jawara announced that I will be ending his self-imposed exile and >return to >the Gambia. I want to take this opportunity to welcome Sir Dawda >home as an >elder statesman whose wisdom and experience is needed by the Gambia. >However, President Jawara should be warned that the Gambia which he >fled >seven years ago and the Gambia he will return to are quite >different. > >He's was a Gambia were children carried their own chairs and table >to school >while top Government officials sent their children to Private >school. > >He's was a Gambia where children worked for endless kilometers or >even >relocated to the urban areas to have access to schools while the >luxurious >government cars transported the children of the rich. > >He's was a Gambia were the generator of the national hospital was >usually >taken to State House while the hospital remained in darkest and >operations >were canceled. > >He's was a Gambia were the odds of seeing a doctor at our hospitals >was >almost the same as the odds of hitting the jackpot in the national >lottery. > >He's was a Gambia were the status-quo meant that most intellectuals >were in >a slumber and no one except a very few dared question are challenge >the >Government. > >He's was a Gambia were information was a premium to the people, were >bad >roads were our pride, were youths had no hope of University >Education, were >Scholarships were meant for the rich, were endemic corruption was >the order >of the day and were farmers were perpetually exploited. > >Sir Dawda might be surprised to know that the Gambia has changed a >lot while >he was away. No matter what grievances he has got with this >Government, he >has got to be thankful that the country he is returning to has a >brighter >future now than on that sunny morning of July 22nd 1994. > >>From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Jawara --- Come-back Kid? >>Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 09:41:50 -0400 >> >>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. >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >_________________________________________________________________ >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------