From: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] Subject: Article on Dibba -a >reaction Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 20:11:54 EST > >Subj: Re: AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON SHERIFF DIBBAS ALLIANCE WITH APRC Date: >08/01/02 13:53:32 GMT Standard Time From: MSAWANAH To: Bob6772 > > > > > > >Momodou Lamin Sawaneh > >Reaction to Gambia L article. > >I read your article on the above subject matter but I found it difficult to >understand the purpose of writing such an article. By reading the article, >I could not see to which audience it is directed . It did not help me in >anyway to get an understanding of why Dibba took the decision of this >nature. The story is not the least articulate and much more disappointing >of all is that the writer could not provide a reasonable and attainable >solution to the present political dilema in Gambian politics , if any. He >criticised and blamed all the parties except for PDOIS which he described >as credible in one of his remarks. > >I think people should be reasonable when they are talking about politics in >any form being national or international politics. We have to give proper >historical background to situations and corroborate with the present >developments and then suggest solutions which can be of value to the >players on the ground. This attitude of condemning everybody and everything >without providing any solution of your own does not help any Gambian no >matter on what side of the coin we are. And unless there is fundamental >change in attitudes we would certainly get nowhere. I found out that the >people that the writer is criticising are even better than him. This is for >the simple fact that those politicians have pointed out why they are taking >such decisions which to some extent have been dictated by the realities on >the ground. > >It is very clear to everyone with a sense of history that Dibba has been >fighting elections in this country since 1976 when he left the PPP. There >was no proper organisation that was donating any money to his party and >many Gambian intellectuals who were interested in politics were joining the >ruling party in order to get ministerial positions even though they new >quite well that the government was corrupt. The party to some extent was >being funded by few people and Dibba's personal efforts to a certain >degree. > >Here is a man who sacrificed all kinds of jobs and pleasures that you and I >would may not want to do today. He was arrested and detained in 1981 for >almost 9 months for a crime he never committed until he lost his seat in >Central Baddibou. Many of his supporters were dragged from Baddibous and >Bakau to various detention camps with the intention of killing his party >and to demoralise and discredit him as a political figure. A lot of >innocent peole died in those detention camps. Despite all that mental and >physical torture, he made a comeback and regained his seat in 1992. > >There is no Gambian politician who has been detained for his political >beliefs to the extent of Dibba, there is no Gambian politician who had >suffered defeats in the polls than Dibba and there is no Gambian politician >who sacrificed anything for political opposition than Dibba and yet this is >the man that the new opposition parties or writers are saying didnot >sacrifice enough. What do they want him to do? > > >We all agree that there is no violent solution to The Gambian political >question. If Dibba realised that earlier than you and I , and decided to >wait for the real democratic process to come and go back to the Gambian >people to seek their mandate, why should we think that he is wrong in doing >that. If the decrees were not meant to be obeyed, why did n't we ask Jawara >to go back home and contest the 1996 elections. He and other politicians >had the opportunity to defy the decrees and return home.They would have >sacrificed their lives and be called national heroes by now. > >Why did they wait for the political amnesty before they could not return >home as private individuals? Why did the Gambians go to the polls even >though the government that organised the elections was described as >illegitimate? Above all why did the Gambian people respect the verdict of >the polls in both 1996 and 2001? Why didn't every Gambian boycott the >elections in 1996 for the reason that decrees were still in place? > >It is sad to mention but most of us who are meant to comprehend what >democracy is all about are the people who unfortunately are more confused >about democratic process. > >The 2001 polls were free and fair and the Gambian people who went to the >polls decided to renew their confidence in Jammeh government. They have >their own reasons for giving him the mandate to govern them for another >five years and by respecting the verdict of over 52% of the electorates is >what democracy is all about and not about writing high sounding phrases >about the people and the political players. It is quite difficult to be >realistic when you are defeated at the polls by such magnitude but unless >we accept realities at the right time, this small nation will go nowhere in >terms of development. > >Even though Yaya has lot of problems particularly in the area of human >rights, nobody has the right to tell the Gambian people that they have >voted for the wrong person and they should take other measures to reverse >their decision. Are we advocating that all Gambians should keep away from >anything to do with the government whether developmental or otherwise and >let Yaya and his supporters do it? If the answer is yes, then we are all >narrow minded. > >The governpment is not Yaya government but a government that represents all >Gambian people and for that reason whoever feels that despite his or her >political beliefs, would want to participate in the development process of >the country, should only be encouraged. The government is not anybody's >personal property and it should never be seen be allowed to be seen to be >that. If it clear that this is the attitude that Yaya has , we deserve the >right to tell him that he is wrong and suggest tangible solutions to him. >You can still be participating in the government and bring about positive >changes. The case of Abdoulaye Wade and Co is too recent to forget. He >served in the government of Joof so many times as a cabinet minister to >contribute his bit in the national development process and this also >enabled him to gain the most needed administrative experience. But this did >not prevent him from contesting and winning the election when the people >who matter wanted him to rule them instead of Joof. > >We can make our country a better place if we should learn how to go by the >verdict of the people as dictated by the basic tenents of democracy we are >preaching. It is our responsibility to join hands with whoever is in power >to develop our country , if we are given the opportunity to so. I do not >therefore see the need to discourage Dibba to participate in a government >of his country if the authorities need him. He can only be encouraged. > >The country belongs to all of us and it requires the input of everyone.We >should be around and within to tell Yaya what is wrong and what is correct. >It is not a law in politics that you should always fight to gain power from >outside. You can also participate meaningfully in the developement process >of your country from within. Lenin (the great Russian leader) told us that >if you cannot defeat them, join them. If you start a journey and the >realities show you that you cannot complete it, the basic common sense will >tell you that you should return to where you started. > >Yaya needs to be assisted by enlightened and experienced individuals and he >needs to be told the truth at all times. He should not be left to be >surrounded by individuals who would only tell him what he wants to hear. >His pledge for reconciliation and forgiveness is probably a step in this >direction. He probably wants the much needed people around to help the >country achieve its target in terms of economic growth and political >evolution. > >There is nothing that prevents us from maintaining our parties and still >giving helping hand to the government . Any improvement in the Gambia in >terms of the economy will go into uplifting the living standards of the >ordinary poor. This is a joint responsibility and history will hold >responsible if we should turn a blind eye to it for the fact that we hate >the system. The issue of poverty alleviation and rural development is not a >concept that came with Yaya and it would continue to be so even after him. > >Let us be assessing ourselves as to the contribution we are making to move >our country forward. Even if you are in opposition, what contributions are >you making to sustain the party you support. It is sad that most of us who >write big essays in the net are doing nothing practically to support even >the party we tend to sympathise with. This does not help. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> 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] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>