I, personally, think that former President Jawara has every right as a Gambian citizen to go back to his country if he so wishes. I just have qualms about his future role in Gambian politics. Any attempt for a come back would be seen as an extreme case of lust for power. His critics always point to the fact that he ruled the country for three decades without a limited mandate. He can on the other hand assume the traditional role accorded to elders in African societies: that of a peace-maker and bridge builder. Someone has inferred that Mr. Jawara could use his popularity to attract voters for a united opposition. Whether the current APRC government would tolerate him dabbling in politics and undermining their own power base is the question that some people are asking. I believe, it is time that Gambian politics move forward. No single individual holds the panacea to our country’s ills. I agree with Amadou Scattred Janneh that a call for the restoration of “Jawara la Jamano” will not answer our questions. If the present opposition parties cannot defeat the APRC on President Jammeh’s own record, but would have to rely on former President Jawara’s endorsement then something is seriously wrong somewhere. The personality cult that Mr. Yahya Jammeh has cultivated since he came to power and his blatant disregard for the rule of law will surely bring him down someday. He has apparently refused to learn from similar lessons of history that abound in his own sub-region. He missed a rendezvous with history the very day he decided that no one, but him has the answers to The Gambia’s endless problems. By the time President Jammeh turns back, he will realize just as did his predecessor that history is the best teacher. Hamadi. _________________________________________________________________ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------