From: Yahya Darboe <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: fwd: UDP Press Release of Election Boycott >Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 05:21:36 -0500 > > The decision of the UDP/ppp/gpp coaltion to boycott the forthcoming parliamentary election is in my view vindicated by the following part of its Press statement: > >"The UDP led Coalition has become aware of the peculiar and special >exercise >embarked upon by the IEC to allow massive transfers of voters from one >constituency to another barely two months after the Presidential elections. >It is obvious that from October to November a few people would have >genuinely changed residence and would find it more convenient to transfer >their votes to enable them to vote in their new constituencies, but for >voters to suddenly shift in their thousands from one constituency to >another can only be regarded as a dubious and sinister arrangement by the >IEC calculated to influence voting. We note particularly the huge transfers >that have taken place to Bakau, Jarra Central and Upper Saloum to name a >few. This practice does not show the sign for fair and equitable elections. > >The IEC has not been able to be totally independent of the Executive in >several ways. The Judiciary proved very ineffective in the adjudication of >the objections at the Revising Courts and heavily penalised the UDP >objectors and their witnesses who testified to the registration of aliens. >Other witnesses particularly in Mansa Konko were intimidated and harassed >while some were imprisoned in Janjanbureh, their only crime being to expose >the massive registration of non-Gambians. A petition on this matter was >addressed to the Chief Justice and to date it has remained unanswered." The UDP/ppp/gpp coalition's decision as Haruna Darboe rightly stated is indeed honourable. The decision should be construed as an appropriate reaction to apparent attempts by the APRC/IEC coalition to bring about through fraudulent means a one-party (APRC) National Assembly and by implication a de facto one-party State. The manipulation of the process of voters transfer from one constituency to another, particularly from APRC strongholds to the opposition-held seats such as Bakau (Dembo by force), Upper Saloum (Hon. Hamat Bah) and Jarra Central (Hon. Kemeseng Jammeh) is a well-calculated numbers shifting game in favour of the APRC. Although, the APRC regime was able to secure its preference of a rubber-stamp National Assembly from the 1997 parliamentary elections through its over 2/3 membership domination of the Assembly, it nonetheless considered the few opposition members that got into Parliament as deadly thorns on its side. Honourables Hamat Bah, Sedia Jatta, Dembo Jatta and Kemeseng Jammeh were far more effective in appraising government policies than the combined members of the APRC. This is what the government wants to end: constructive criticsm in the National Assembly which is dessiminated by the media. If the UDP-led coalition were to participate in the National Assembly elections under the prevailing electoral conditions, they would have in effect given credibility to a highly manipulated and flawed electoral process whose only outcome would be another slap in the face of Gambian democracy. In my opinion, the decision allowing for 'unregistered voters' to vote during the recently-held presidential election that emanated from State House but which was conveyed at the very last minute by the regime's stooge IEC Chairman warranted for a boycott of that election by the opposition. Becuase that decision was announced when most Gambian voters had retired to bed after having been earlier reassured by the same IEC chairman that only registered voters would be permitted to vote, the UDP-led coaltion could not react to the 'sell out' from the IEC except with disbelief and inevitable participation in that flawed election. Consequently, If the parliamentary elections were to proceed without the UDP-led alliance and ultimately, the APRC/IEC/(NCP?) coalition succeeded in acieving its objective of a National Assembly devoid of oppostion members, the outcome would still be a one-party National Assembly but this would be a parliament lacking in credibility or legitimacy. The other opposition parties (PDOIS and NRP) should emulate the honourable decision of the UDP by also boycotting the elections. That is the right thing to do for the sake of Gambian democracy until a truly IEC is in place to oversee a free and fair electoral process in the Gambia. The yoke of oppression must be shattered! Merry XMas and a happy new year to all members of the GL ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>