Gambians in the Diaspora Caution Opposition, Call for All-Out Unity Against "Anarchy" Email This Page Print This Page The Independent (Banjul) DOCUMENT October 1, 2001 Posted to the web October 1, 2001 Banjul, the Gambia Gambians who say they are in the Diaspora have sent a message of caution to the coalition, calling for their leaders to convene a meeting to thrash out their differences ahead of the elections. The message spoke of the need for the Gambian opposition to unite into a single bloc and "rescue our nation from anarchy". Published below is the unabridged text of the message. Our beloved country is at a crucial crossroads. In fact, we have never ventured out this road in the past. We are presented with a historic, yet time-sensitive opportunity to rescue our nation from anarchy. At this very juncture, we should collectively have one goal and one goal only. We are all well aware of what this goal is. Now more than ever is the appropriate moment for all opposition parties interested in restoring peace, justice, and order in The Gambia to be on the same bandwagon. In reality, this is not asking for too much from parties claiming to represent us (the people). If we fail to unite and remove the current disastrous and unbearable administration from power in the upcoming presidential elections, we will directly be responsible for letting our country continue on its destructive path. History will forever brand us as the generation of politicians (leaders) who put personal and party interests ahead of national interest. We are urging you to take the following initiatives: 1. Schedule a formal meeting immediately to create a comprehensive document of understanding. We encourage you to put a gag order in effect until this meeting is concluded to prevent the media from being used as a bargaining tool. 2. Each party should be given an opportunity to present its requirements for an alliance. Competing ideas should be examined based on its merits and voted on. We also urge participants not to walk out if their plans are not adopted. Remember every issue is subject to negotiation and compromise. 3. Select an unbiased individual(s) to schedule and oversee the meeting(s). This could be a religious leader, community leader or individual with a strong moral character and good standing in the community. We put our collective faith and confidence in our political leaders (you) to work tirelessly for a united opposition. Anything less than a united opposition will be ignoring the wishes of your constituents. Concerned Gambians Abroad _________________________________________________________________ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------