Brother Joe Sambou, Sharing my cola-nuts with you! But what seems to me so obvious and what we in the first place perhaps ought to address is just what intra-party democracy means in Gambia. Is it now not just as clear as noonday to all of us that what we have in Gambian political party history is simply a semi-organised group of people with vested interests who are still to transcend the vagaries of a backward patrimonialism? Why can't anyone dare tell president Jawara, "thank you for your lifetime service, but the PARTY needs to renew itself completely....so we would appreciate very much if you can serve it with the benefit of your vast experience as an adviser?" The same goes for S.M Dibba. Having lost so many elections even before 1994, how is it that NCP members cannot tell him it is time he resigned as party leader? For God's sake do not these parties have a Constitution where the process of succession of leadership is adequately treated? Can we not all see that because there is nothing in the workings and organisational setup of our political parties that resembles a modicum of democracy as the major reason why they will all be so hopelessly undemocratic even if in power? Is it not indeed why the APRC, having its origins in the army (where everyone is an expert in taking or giving orders), should be the worst possible candidate from which to expect democratic behaviour? Can we not see why they all have always been so reluctant in preparing heirs? (They want to stay there till they die! - Remember Jawara's fake announcement to retire in the late eighties?) We have no right to expect decent democratic behaviour from leaders who have themselves no experience of such behaviour throughout their political lives. Unless the young, active in all our political parties dismiss this current order of sultanism, politics in Gambia might forever remain hostage to the caprices of old men, too proud to admit failure and with a following too confused and cowardly over its loyalty. Sidibeh, Stockholm/Kartong ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or 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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~