>From: panderry mbai <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: NADD RALEIGH MEETING ON POINT'S NEW WEBSITE!!!! >Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 04:08:24 +0100 (BST) > > >Folks, > >Below is a comprehensive coverage of the Raleigh NADD meeting authored by >veteran journalist Ebrima G Sankareh. This is a master piece and i >urge you to read it. > >NADD’s Diaspora Launching Delegation Portrays Gloomy Gambia -Tales of >Torture, Corruption & Maladministration >By Ebrima G. Sankareh in USA > >Raleigh, NC, USA- The Co-coordinator of the National Alliance for Democracy >& Development in The Gambia (NADD), Mr. Halifa Sallah, expressed deep >resentment over the affairs of state in the country. Addressing a crowded >hall during NADD’s Diaspora launching in Raleigh, state of North Carolina >in the USA, Mr. Sallah told his countrymen that across the spectrum, APRC >regime’s performance has been a disaster for The Gambia. “Therefore”, he >warned, “unless the APRC leaves office, the nation will sink into an >abyss.” > >According to Halifa, “some 20,000 students will be leaving school in the >next decade, while government can only employ a few thousands.” This bleak >situation, argues Sallah, coupled with the multi-million Dollar wasteful >projects from Libyan and Kuwaiti loans, are the grim realities confronting >a regime that has neither a vision of reality nor a clear economic policy >for the better. Consequently, says Sallah, “The Gambia is heavily indebted >with no efforts to maximize its economic base.” He cited the poor >performance of several public corporations, particularly citing the >purchase of Mariatou Beach Hotel with tax payers’ money as a case in point. >According to Halifa, it was against this backdrop that NADD was conceived >to fix the economic situation and return The Gambia to a democratic culture >with respect for the Rule of Law. Since its launching, revealed Sallah, >NADD has contested six bye-elections. Of these, NADD has a cumulative vote >of 11, 582 while the ruling APRC has 9, 852 > votes. These figures, argued Sallah, contradict lies that the APRC is >popular and deeply entrenched. He described such claims as deceptive and >appealed to all genuine Gambians to rally behind NADD to rescue what he >considered an otherwise doomed nation. > >Echoing Sallah’s dismal account of events in the country, Mr. Kemeseng >Jammeh told the crowd that Yahya Jammeh has woefully failed Gambians and >that his APRC government has no respect for human and people’s rights. He >said, “instead, we have a corrupt judicial process that has become >synonymous to detention without trial, abuse and misuse of power.” > >According to Kemeseng, this human rights record explains partly why the >nation did not receive an olive branch in the debt relief programme that >richer countries have benefited from. “This explains why,” he reasoned, >“the country now depends on remittances from you people for its >sustenance.” > >Lamin Waa Juwara echoed similar sentiments, albeit more fiercely. He called >GRTS, “Yahya Jammeh TV,” given President Jammeh’s alleged monopoly over >both the radio and television. Since coming to power, says Waa, Jammeh has >ruled the state with an iron fist and despite claims to the contrary, APRC >has systematically ruined the state apparatus. With the radio and TV at his >disposal President Jammeh, says Waa, is bent on a massive campaign of >misinformation and disinformation. He expressed a great deal of pessimism >over the political dispensation of The Gambia. “I have no confidence in the >political climate and the only way to avoid a recurrence of events in >Sierra Leone and Liberia in The Gambia is for us to rally behind NADD and >democratically remove the APRC from power,” he said. > >Mr Juwara forcefully argued that the 1996 elections were rigged and that >non-Gambians voted massively in the 2001 elections, particularly Senegalese >from Cassamance. According to Waa, since coming to power, APRC has made >torture a consistent trademark, himself having fallen victim to a most >degrading and inhuman treatment while in jail both at Janjangbureh and Mile >II Central Prisons. > >In his exposition, Mr. Omar A. Jallow, former Agriculture Minister in the >PPP government, said that APRC was a dictatorship that has no respect for >fundamental human rights. Contrary to what Jammeh claimed on seizing power, >contended OJ, his government has proven to be a clique of “thieves, thugs, >human rights violators and pathological liars”. He disclosed to the crowd >that between them Yankuba Touray, Momodou Clerk Barjo, Baba Jobe and Lang >Conteh have on Jammeh’s watch allegedly embezzled more than D700 Million >from the Central Bank of The Gambia. He concluded that Yahya Jammeh and his >government were irredeemably corrupt, inept and lacked the moral fiber to >govern The Gambia. > >In his remarks, Gambian born American professor of political science, Dr. >Abdoulaye Saine, the brain behind the coalition, thanked the delegation for >sacrificing their lives to challenge a dictator of the APRC’s magnitude. He >urged Gambians in the Diaspora to support NADD so that come 2006, Jammeh >will be history. “Today the average Gambian, posited Dr. Saine, “is poorer >than he was ten years ago thanks largely to APRC malfeasance.” > >Meanwhile, the NADD delegation together with Dr. Saine, paid a courtesy >call to the Carter Center in Atlanta where they had a fruitful discussion >with Dr. David J. Carrol, Director of its Democracy Program. > >There is hopeful anticipation that the Carter Center will send monitors for >the 2006 elections. Efforts are also underfoot for the delegation to meet >top officials of The State Department and the Washington-based National >Democratic institute. > > > > > >--------------------------------- > >TOP STORIES >Justice Paul Asked to Stay Away From Courts Until… > >We would be Re-elected - Hamat Tells BBC > >Fuel Price Soars Again > >Bammy Jagne Reinstated Gambia’s US Envoy > >Former Senegalese Prime Minister Arrested Over Alleged Coup > >Plot > >Trial of Kombo East Chief Continues At Brikama Magistrates >Court > >French Govt. Honours Dr Sedat Jobe, Baboucarr Jatta > >NADD’s Diaspora Launching > >Gov’t Urged Not to Seize Ex-civil Servants Belongings > >Mai Fatty Takes Justice Paul To Task > > > > > >SHE SHE SHE >As celebrations of the International Women’s Day recently took place in >Kerewan, North Bank Division, the chairperson National Women’s >Council............ > >Talking Point >Chieftaincy Switch in Fulladou-Step In the Right > >By Kebba Yorro Manneh > >The Bite: >The Judgment Provokes Political Uncertainty >The talk of the town these past few days has been the unprecedented >judgement by the Supreme Court supporting the actions of the Clerk of the >National Assembly........ > GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT: >Whither Stands The Paul Commission? >Good Morning, Mr. President >I am sure you must have been very much disturbed and disappointed by the >revelations that your most trusted partner in the......... FARMERS: >Draught Animals: A Source of Farm Power and Means of Sustaining Rural >Livelihoods >Rural Poverty is pervasive and rising, posing major challenges for overall >socio-economic development in The Gambia. >As the debate over debt.... ......... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >The Point Newspaper ,2 Garba Jahumpa Road , Fajara ,The Gambia, > Tel:(220) 4497441 Mob: (220) 9908467 Fax: (220) 4497442 > PO Box 66 Banjul > Email: [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- >Can't remember an address in your address book? Enter the first few letters >and Address AutoComplete will automatically finish it. Get Yahoo! Mail _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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 Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤