Mose, I respectfully disagree with your views here, and would get back to you later in the day. I am on the rush now, and could not send you a full reply. Nobody can trumpet here that what these people did not do for thirty good years, will be fulfilled in a year. We have passed the era of saying, that ONLY few individuals can make us achieve our goals, just as the wollof saying goes ( "DOGOH DOGOH" ). We have brilliant Gambian out there, who are far more capable, clean and honest to do this for us. I hope we don`t just sit and rely on only these people to put us in paradise. May God save the Gambia! Elhajj. Musa Jeng skrev: > It is interesting to see all the reaction to the return of Jawara to > Gambian Politics. Reading closely to what Jabou, Sanusi, Amadou Janneh > and my good friend Joe only reinforced how all of us would like to see a > clean start with new people and ideas in order to move forward. I also > understand your fears and suspicions that there are disgruntled PPP > supporters who are only interested in high jacking the collective will > of our fight against the Jammeh Misrule, in order to reinstate the > yester- year politics of Jawara. Gentlemen, politics like everything > else in life is about timing, making tactical moves that realistically > works, and most importantly wisely choosing your fights. > > We can wait till after the October election and Jammeh has been declared > the winner, to engage with the usual argument of what went wrong, or > what was the most effective strategy to explore. The issue about the > come back kid of Jawara is not a debate of his thirty years Presidency, > and definitely not a yearned to return to the Jawara era. Can we all ask > our selves this question, what brought about decree 89? Was Jammeh > really interested in punishing the corrupt politicians, or was it a > tactical move to make sure he is not confronted with any serious > opposition. It is a political reality, fairly or unfairly that if > elections were held in the Gambia between President Jammeh, and > ex-President Jawara, in a level playing field Jawara will definitely win > by a landslide. This is a political truism and has nothing to do with > whether Jawara was a good leader or not, in fact, most of us were > excited with the over throw of the Jawara regime because of Jawara’s > thirty year misrule. The issue is what works. If your hatred for, or > opposition to Jawara, and you have every right in the world to feel like > that base on his past performance, but the bottom line at this juncture > is what works. What political formula out there that can bring an end to > an NIA run government, to a new government that can bring the Gambia > closer to a constitutional democracy. Please sentiment and emotion aside > tell me realistically how we can bring and end to the Jammeh misrule. > > On a personal note, I would have like to see a PDOIS government because > it is the only party that I believed is committed to the ideals of > democracy, development of our country and to the protection of the lives > of every Gambian. But I am also not stupid or naive because come October > there will not be a PDOIS government. Therefore, what is out there that > can at least create an environment that can bring about the issues and > programs that PDOIS subscribe to. In addition, the most realistic > formula that can guarantee an Opposition victory is the formation of an > Alliance Party with everybody on board including at the fore front > ex-President Jawara, ex-Opposition leader S.M Dibba, Andrews Camara, > Pdois’s Sidia Jatta, Hamat Bah and UDP’ Ousainou Darboe. The goal of the > Alliance is very simple, to bring an end to the Jammeh rule and create > an environment of a Constitutional democratic Gambia, a stable Gambia, a > Gambia of Justice Law and order and where the lives and rights of every > Gambian is protected. Also for tactical reasons, this Alliance can make > their deals behind the scenes, and choose the best person that can > guarantee a victory, and in this case, the logical person is Ousainou > Darboe. Personally, I wish I could have said Sidia Jatta, but that will > not be true. > > Gentlemen, remember Jammeh's worst fear is to run against such a force, > and if I can say the Opposition’s record has absolutely nothing to do > with it, it is the political reality. Most of these ex-Politicians have > invested political capital and whether we like them or not they are > political heavy weights that will continue to impact the direction of > our country. > > Musa Jeng > > Haruna Darbo wrote: > > > > > > > DITTO Musa, Dampha et al. > > > > Haruna - SONS OF AFRIKA>From: Musa Jeng > > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list > > >To: [log in to unmask] > > >Subject: Re: Jawara --- Come-back Kid? > > >Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:48:15 -0400 > > > > > >Unseating an incumbent Government in Africa can be a very difficult > > ordeal. Obviously, there > > >are hosts of reasons, one in particular is what Ndey Jobarteh > > referred in her posting, the politics of > > >Patronage. The electorate making what they consider as a wise > > decision, ridding with a winning horse, which > > >is usually the party with the media, the government, the development > > programs, the arbiter of law and order > > >and all the other perceived benefits that come with it. There is also > > another important phenomena, especially > > >in Africa, people’s emotional and psychological inclination of who > > should be the leader. This person is seen > > >as a messiah, who is somehow ordained to govern, a personality > > cult-like, and to go against that force is > > >seen as going against the will of God, or nature, take your pick. > > > > > >Unfortunately, seven years of misrule has given Yaya Jammeh, like any > > other African despot these > > >aforementioned advantages. And with all the political strategizing > > and punditry about the October Election, > > >the wild card that can make all the difference is in Mr.Dampha’s > > piece, the return of Jawara. For starters, I > > >am not a supporter of Jawara, and my analysis is purely an opinion > > that I strongly believe can help in the > > >unseating of President Jammeh, which I am frustratingly looking > > forward to. President Jawara is one > > >individual who was once seen as a messiah, a winning horse and was > > seen as ordained by some force to govern. > > >This is one individual who can still connect with the Gambian > > electorate. He has effectively done it for > > >thirty years, and this is something not to underestimate. For a > > moment forget about pros and cons of his > > >thirty-year rule, what he has done wrong or right, and focus only on > > the political chessboard. I consider > > >myself a fairly sophisticated follower of Gambian politics, > > politically speaking, and also not a supporter of > > >President Jawara. Two years ago, I had an opportunity to attend a > > rally conference in Atlanta, in fact I > > >reported to the GL about that meeting. I went into that conference > > with my anti-Jawara sentiments and left > > >that meeting, not a born again Jawara supporter, but at least > > respected his argument. I am totally convinced > > >that the man has what it takes to connect with the Gambian people. As > > Dampha indicated, he is one person that > > >can vindicate the PPP Government, or at least defend his record. > > Jawara is one person that can be very > > >effective in finally challenging the APRC government from Banjul to > > Koina, not as a leader of the Opposition, > > >but as one of the leaders of the Alliance party to unseat Jammeh’s > > misrule. Gambians will come out in droves > > >to listen to the ex- President and this will give him an opportunity > > to tell his side of the story. I > > >personally believe that this is one wild card that would be > > politically suicidal for the opposition not to > > >play. Oh! I know of the counter argument, a political has been, been > > their for thirty years, corruption, > > >political cammatose and all the other yada yada yada, and I have > > personally made that case before and can > > >still make them, but not in this vein, and still look what the > > alternative is. At this crossroad of our > > >country’s political, economical and survival in every aspect, I > > honestly believe that the ex-President can > > >play a vital role in making it possible for the Opposition to win > > come October 2001 > > > > > >Mr.Dampha, in his piece mentioned security and safety of the > > ex-President, and to that I will say, > > >Mr.President, you owe that much to the Gambian people, and this is > > one move worth risking your own life. And > > >if you if you fail to take this opportunity and go back to the Gambia > > and fight for your believes, you will > > >never forgive yourself. Remember that the Gambian people are yet to > > hear your own defense from the horse’s > > >mouth, and win or loose that is worth all the risks in the world. > > Frankly, Gambia belongs to all of us, and > > >who governs should be peacefully decided by the people, and no single > > individual should have a monopoly on > > >this, and maybe it is time for Jammeh and everyone else to know that > > this country belongs to all of us. > > >Finally, my political instincts tells me this election is still for > > Jammeh to win, but with the Jawara twist > > >under the leadership of Ousainou Darboe, the Opposition can win by a > > land slide, and for that to happen, it > > >should be all out war for the future of our country. > > > > > >Musa Jeng > > > > > > > > > > > >Dampha Kebba wrote: > > > > > > > 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. > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > >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 > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------