>To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: so-called opposition Alliance/Hamjatta >Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 10:03:51 EDT > >Hamjatta, > >You wrote > > > > For starters it is plainly > > dishonest to imply that there is no such thing as an Opposition Alliance: > > what would you call agreement of the PPP, UDP and GPP to fight the elections > > under the leadership of Mr Darbo? The fact that Mr Darbo heads the different > > > >You conveniently left out the most important fact, and that is, this >opposition allinace was proposed to bring all opposition parties under one >fold to help eject the dictator. However, these three parties you mention >underhandedly colluded to exclude the other parties by "floating ideas >between people with similar objectives" as someone called it. They then >called a meeting by verbal invitation, and most amazing of all, they decided >to nominate a leader for the opposition alliance when half of the opposition >parties were not present. > >One party, that of Mr S.M Dibba walked out due to his disagreement with the >nomination, and PDOIS called to have the meeting delayed so they could >attend, and Hamat Bah was out of the country. > >Despite all of this, and despite the fact that a coalition of opposition >parties is something that needs careful negotiation betrween all the players >and compromises made if there is to be a situation that is truely a colaition >and not an attemopted take over, you still want to argue that there is a >colaition. > >Hamjatta, at least have the decency to admit that there is a merger of the >PPP and UDP only, and no true colaition. The way this whole affair was >orchestrated is what I take issue with, and it was shamelessly underhanded. >Please, let us try to stick to the truth because it is the truth that will >set us free. This is an allinace that has placed the UDP into another league, >far different from the one that others including myself had placed them in. > >You also wrote: > >This merely reflects your own personal weakness; i.e., how you easily become >a victim of your own herd instincts of following popular and fashionable >opinion rather than research issues and make the appropriate comments. > >Hamjatta, > >I made no excuses for not having done my homework. You, on the other hand, >ought to have the courage at last to do yourself a favour by admitting that >you are a PPP/UDP supporter. You say you do not support PDOIS any longer, >this is your choice and mine is also mine to make and truth, fairness and >transparency should be what we pursue in our attempts to moveforward. One >cannot acuse the present regime of lack of transparency, which is quite true, >and then turn around and engage in the same underhandedness. This is not a >way forward, but merly a chnge of one conspirator for another. > >If the truth be told, I think even you know that I am no follower of crowds >and popular opinion, unless that opinion happens to be the truth. This >situation cannot be so easily relegated to such a simplistic explanation. > >Rather, I think the UDP should tell us just how they can call themselves a >fresh new party and still allign with the PPP, but most important of all, why >it was that this allinace should have been so deviously organized. These two >parties should have had the decency to just tell Gambians that they want to >allign, rather that saying that they are joining an opposition when the >planning of this so called allince was nothing short of a conspiracy to merge >these two parties, while finding convenient excuses to leave the other >parties out. I also happen to think that it was a most unwise decision.. > >What is the explanation as to why they refused to delay the meeting so PDOIS >can attend if they had good intentions of forming a true coalition that >included everyone? > >What is the reason a meeting was so poorly planned with only verbal >invitations? > >What is the reason that despite the fact that one of the parties walked out, >they still went ahead with the meeting as if nothing else mattered? > >What is the reason that they went ahead with the meeting when Hamat Bah was >out of the country? > >What is the reason these so called "balloons between people of similar >objectives" were not floated to the other parties like PDOIS etc? The answer >I got on that one was that they thought that PDOIS would not be receptive to >them, so this was based on a perception by supposedly well meaning ad neutral >elements who were suposedly organizing this meeting for one and all. > >Why was it that politicians who have a lot of experience, and had even run a >government before did not take into account that a colaition of political >parties with different ideas had to be something that willl take a lot of >negotiation and concesions on the part of all if the intention to form a true >coalition is genuine? > >Why was it that every avenue to eliminate all the objections of the other >parties like PDOIS and NRP were not pursued if the intentions to include >every opposition party without prejudice was genuine? > >What about the legacy of the PPP, and how UDP will reconcile that even as >they say they are a fresh party with new ideas.? > > I think the issues that need to be addresed are being passed over because >the answers are too obvious. >This is about truth, fairness and a way to move us forward that has been >railroaded, and let the newly merged UDP/PPP allinace answer the important >questions that are raised instead of beating about the bush and asuming that >people are stupid. > >Jabou Joh > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------