Brother Joe Sambou. Many many thanks in bringing to our notice this important message from the NADD flag-bearer. Hon. Halifa Sallah raised quite a number of important questions that need careful assimilation. I am sure all those who care so much for Gambia will take the time needed to scrutinise his every word in order to reach some conclusion that will contribute in charting a way forward for all forces wanting to bring progressive change to our land. Certainly, I will do my own bit in that collective effort. My concern however is simply that you seem to reduce the failure of the Opposition to unseat Jammeh partly to a lack of resources and partly to reasons of "tribalism", only! I simply disagree, comrade. Cheers, Sidibeh 2006/11/1, Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]>: > > Folks, I do not think that there is one Gambian that can in good > conscience, > have an issue with the service, dedication, and commitment of halifa > Sallah > to the positive uplift of Gambians. So, why did Gambians vote the way > they > did? Why did Gambians re-elect a murderer and a thief that has been > killing > and stealing from them for the past 12 years? This is not about being > afraid, but rather what Gambians wanted to do for what ever justification. > After they voted the murderer back into office, how are the masses coping > with paying their kid's education? How is their health? How about their > living condition? Do they have clean drinking water, etc.? The answer > is, > nothing has change and will change for them but to continue to live > miserably for the next five years. We were reckless in what we chose, > thus > we shall live the outcome of our decisions. That is those on the ground, > in > the pit of the fire. > > Now, to those that are thousands of miles away, we have our own share of > responsibility in this lost opportunity. First of all, Gambians watched > the > only organization that dedicated its time, efforts, and resources for the > uplift of Gambian interest, get wrestled and bogged down by dishonest and > incompetent self serving party organizations, mounted on tribalism and > nothing else. STGDP worked for four years bringing Gambians together to > form a united front against the rogue government in the Gambia; brought > the > four political party leaders to the table to also form a united front to > challenge and defeat the APRC; Raised funds from within and among Gambians > and helped the predecessor of NADD and NADD to contest and win elections; > sponsored a radio program that gave the opposition a voice to be heard by > Gambians on the ground; lobbied congress men and women and the US state > Department, civic orgs. and interest groups to address the Gambian > situation, etc. All this, only to see a bunch of tribalist that have no > agenda but to push for ethnic superiority and alliance to shatter the > hopes > and dreams of all Gambians, including their very selves. Those who knew > better took the philosophical route under the banner of intellectualism, > skirting taking on the backwardness that confront them. > > In the end, with the help of few other Gambians, the same STGDP members > dug > into their pockets to fulfill their civic responsibility to our people and > ourselves and give their best. However, as stated below, that was not > nearly enough to fight a kleptocracy with millions of dollars. We did not > need to match the Kleptocracy dollar for dollar, or in percentage > accumulation. All NADD needed was something as little as $100,000 or > less, > to be able to carry their message consistently in the last weeks before > the > elections. Gambians, you and I, in the diaspora, refused to support a > program we all agreed is the best that ever happened to us. This is a > time > for all of us to reflect on our sincerity and honesty on what we want to > see > in our country. > > Now that we are seeing the result of what we allowed to happen, happen, we > have an opportunity to start the rebuilding process. All must be tasked > to > action and not speech alone. Do we want to increase the voice of the > opposition in the NA? If no, then we can continue to do nothing and be > fatalistic. If yes, then, are we willing to dig into our pockets to work > with the opposition and increase their numbers? Can we get a commitment > for > each to contribute at a minimum, $100, toward our liberation? Folks, that > is a very small price to pay for ones liberation or empowerment. Now, we > can philosophize all we want, in the end, money is needed to make this > happen. Can we commit to continuing our journey towards our liberation, > that is the question. > > Can we speak with one voice after our commitment, to hold accountable any > that is against our collective interest? Folks, this in simple language > means that we dedicate ourselves to our national interest, and not tribal, > religious, or other sub interests. Leadership is very important in any > struggle and so, we cannot afford to allow any that do not share the > common > interest to disrupt or soil our collective resolve. The is an opportunity > for us to rehabilitate ourselves, or a continuation of the path that kept > yielding us disastrous results. What say the people? I raise my hand to > this challenge and more, any yeah's or nays? > > Chi Jaama > > Joe > > > > > > NADD FLAG BEARER ON THE ELECTION > > The lessons are clear. The destiny of the Gambian Republic lies > in the > sovereign hands of her sovereign people. In the same vein, my > political weight and > fate lie in their hands. > Of course, it is rational to conclude that people just decided > to vote for > either candidate for the presidency because of their assumption > that NADD > cannot win and then proceed to prophecy that voters in > Serrekunda Central will > vote for me in the National Assembly election. I will not allow > my mind to > harbour such a fanciful logic. > Hence if I were to be asked whether I will be a candidate in > the forthcoming > National Assembly elections my answer will be simple. My > political fate now > hangs on the balance of probabilities. It is for the people to > decide. It is > not for me to decide. To me representation is not a career but > a duty that > one is called upon to perform. Whenever the people want me to > rest I will > gladly do so. I have gained nothing from politics. > The fact that Wuli East and Wuli West gave me second place in > the election > while Serrekunda Central gave me in 2006 almost 1/3 of the votes > they gave me > in the by elections of 2005 must not be taken lightly. I need to > know how the > people in Serrekunda Central rank me in terms of message, > credibility, > popularity or charisma and trustworthiness. I want the voters in > Serrekunda > Central to answer these four fundamental questions for me. > During the Presidential campaign, did they find my message to > be inferior to > those of the other two candidates? Did they find me to be less > credible than > the other two candidates? Was I less charismatic or popular > than them? Did I > inspire less trust and confidence than them? If their answers > are in the > positive then I have no reason to contest National Assembly > elections not to > talk about future presidential elections. If their answers are > in the negative > then I would want to know what motivated them to vote the way > they did. In > short, if the good Jola is one who votes for Yahya Jammeh, the > good Mandinka is > one who votes for Darboe, the good Fula is one who is under the > dictate of > Hamat and good Manjago is one who follows Henry, then where is > the place of > Halifa Sallah, a detribalized human being who has long > committed tribal suicide > and belong to no tribe in Gambian politics. If this is how > people intend to > conduct politics in this country then let me be excused to > build my centre for > Social Science Research and civic awareness and leave the task > of liberating > The Gambia to the future generation. > In order to interact with the electorate, I will conduct a > constituency tour > to listen to what people have to say regarding my role as their > representative these past four years. I will start the tour on > Tuesday, 31st October and > continue up to Sunday. I will send people to visit voters and > get their > opinions. I will conduct the widest possible consultation to > determine my > political weight and fate as the Member of Parliament for > Serrekunda Central > Constituency. > I hope the people in Serrekunda Central are fully aware that it > is the > executive, the Office of President which has mandate to make > policies, prepare a > budget to be approved and monitored by the National Assembly to > solve the > problems of the nation. It is the role of the KMC to raise funds > from the rates, > licences and taxes to provide good roads, public taps, street > lights, proper > waste collection facilities, recreational facilities, markets, > community > centres and so on. The duty of a National Assembly Member is to > serve as a watch > dog to tell the executive what it should do and inform the > people whether it > is being done or not. This is how they can put pressure on the > executive just > as I have put pressure on them regarding the terrible > conditions, which > existed near Sandika in Serrekunda. National Assembly members > should combat bad > laws and promote good laws. They should conduct civic education > to educate > their electorate. It is now left to them to determine the type > of MP they want in > January 2007. I have done the best I can. I have exposed how > women still > draw water from wells and queue for hours to get water from > taps 500 to 1000 > metres away. I have exposed the poor road conditions. I have > exposed the > unemployment situation and the high cost of education. I have > done what is not even > the role of an MP, that is, to deposit half of my National > Assembly income in > to a fund that some borrow from to run small scale businesses > or sponsor > disadvantaged students. We have launched sponsorship schemes > for poor students > sponsored by interested persons; provide vocational training to > members of the > community, provide football gears to children, established a > counseling > service to settle land disputes, marital problems, juvenile > delinquency cases, > psychological problems, labour disputes. We have a library > where students > conduct research and seek advice to write their thesis and > dissertations. There is > not a week that we are not invited to present papers or give > lectures to > societies and schools. Most of the monies received from > workshops go to finance > the fees of students including the education trust fund for > girls. > We are consulted by NGOs, CBOs and other societies in writing > their > constitutions. We are also invited internationally to give > lectures on the problems > of the African continent. Not being an MP will not make me to > stop these > services. I used to provide them before being an MP and I will > continue to > provide them even if I cease to be an MP. Being asked to quit > will provide me with > more time to do research. > In my view, people in developing countries often confuse the > period of > National liberation and the period of the Democratic Revolution. > People like > Marty, Castro, Nkrumah, Nasser, and Ghadaffi have played major > roles in creating a > sense of Nationhood, a sense of Common destiny among their > people just as > George Washington of the US did but was opposed to multi party > system. Without > people liberating and taking ownership of their countries one > could not talk > about building democratic societies or government for the > people. Herein lies > the merit of the nationalist leaders > What many liberated countries have failed to do under the > pretext of > ideology or pragmatism is to carryout the democratic revolution > to the fullest point > of empowering the people to be totally in charge of their > countries. Once > the people of each country are in charge everywhere and > governments exist only > to serve them there will be national peace and world peace. The > most > important of all battles to be won in the 21st century is the > battle of democracy. > All progressive forces should strive to win this battle for the > fullest > empowerment of the people to push world history forward to > guarantee greater > liberty, dignity and prosperity for the people. This is the > direction NADD wants to > take the Gambia. > I maintain an active political life because of my subscription > to the > philosophy that even though it is good to understand the world > it is better to > contribute towards changing it. Knowledge for its sake is > sterile unless it can > be translated into action to make the world a better place than > we found it. > Infact, my centre for social science research and civic > awareness is > stagnant because of the duties I had to perform as an MP and > for NADD. If the people > do decide that it is best for me to give way to others I would > then proceed > to prepare my long awaited dissertation for sociology under the > title "The > Language and Culture of Custom, Tradition, Religion and Rights > in the Gambia." > This will be very important to the way the future generation is > brought up. > There is a lot of conflict in society today because of lack of > understanding > of how socialization should take place in the 21st century. > That will provide > a new insight. > It will show that religion is a depository of moral values and > culture that > should not be a source of conflict. It will shatter the myth of > the clash of > civilizations between the west and the east. It will give > credence to certain > universal values and culture that could transform the world > into a universal > home of people living in liberty, dignity and prosperity. > In the area of International Relations I would work on the > title "The > Doctrine of Collective Sovereignty." This will be very > relevant to solving the > problems in the Middle East, Darfur and emerging conflicts on > the continent. > Instead of a polarized world and the creation of spheres of > influence. This will > show the importance of creating zones were clusters of states > like Israel, > Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestine will agree on standards of how to > contain each > other on the basis of strategic balance of power and establish > a compact > monitored by the international community to maintain good > neighbourliness. The > doctrine of collective sovereignty could have enabled Sudan, > Chad, Libya, Central > African Republic, Niger to all serve as a cluster of states > adhering to a > common standard monitored by the African Union. Instead of > seeking military > solution in Darfur civic education will start in the refugee > camps and elections > done to select a leader as a starting point to empower the > people. Men, women > and youth representatives could be selected. In the same vein > negotiation > for cease fire should go hand in hand with negotiation on a > comprehensive plan > for the sharing of wealth and power. In my view the future of > world peace > does not lie in the unilateralism of George Bush of the US or > Neo anti > imperialism of Chavez of Venezuela. It lies in the promotion of > collective sovereignty > where all states are required to adhere to standards of > governance that are > acceptable to the people of the world. In this way developing > countries can > develop better standards than the developed countries and push > them to create > a new international economic political. Military and diplomatic > order instead > of justifying their own misgovernance by pointing out the > inadequacies of > the developed countries. Anyway, this is just mentioned in > passing. Let me get > back to the point. > Now one may ask: What is the future of NADD and the NADD flag > bearer? > It should be understood that my mandate as a NADD flag bearer > did not go > beyond the acceptance to serve for one term as President with > the sole objective > of putting in place a democratic constitution, laws and > institutions, > policies and practices that would protect fundamental rights and > freedoms, build a > transparent and accountable financial system, eradicate the > excesses of > incumbency and set the country on the road of a genuine multi > party system that > can guarantee free and fair elections. Since we did not win the > elections I had > to ask the NADD executive to come to a determination and > decision on the > political fate of NADD and its current flag bearer. > In short, should NADD disintegrate or should it be retained? > Should the post > of flag bearer be void or should it be retained? The members of > the NADD > Executive have resolved that as far as they are concerned NADD > has been > enthusiastically received and accepted by the people. > According to them, the objectives NADD to separate state from > party, conduct > civic education, curb the advantages of incumbency by > restricting the term > of the NADD Presidential candidate to one term of five years, > open up the > media to divergent views and build a foundation for a genuine > multiparty system > to emerge, respect and protect fundamental rights and freedoms > and consolidate > a democratic foundation for the country, are still valid. They > resolved that > NADD should be maintained and that it should contest the > forthcoming > National Assembly election. According to them, NADD's > flag-bearer was shown to the > people after many felt that the opposition will present only > one candidate; > that time was needed to explain to the voters what led to the > split for them to > be able to make up their minds where to cast their votes. > "That finally many > abstained and others who traditionally use to cast their votes > for the UDP > did so in anticipation tat it could win. They argued that now > that it is clear > to such people that UDP cannot lead the opposition to victory, > many saw the > need for the type of alliance NADD sought to build based on the > equality of > all opposition parties just to achieve the aim of building a > democratic > foundation for the country. > The Executive partly attribute NADD's results to the > overwhelming resources > of the APRC which enabled it to go back where NADD displayed > strength such as > Fass Saho, Fulladu etc, to erode its support. The short time > exposure of the > NADD candidate, the inadequate resources which prevents NADD to > give > T-Shirts and flags to its supporters to retain their > identification with NADD. The > Executive lamented that STGDP could not provide the resources > anticipated > because of the split in NADD. They noted that the movement for > Democracy in New > York and the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in the > UK were > completely absent in giving support to NADD in the campaign. > They asked me to make > enquiries why that was the case. They resolved that we should > thank all those > who supported NADD in kind cash, votes, prayers and spirit > especially the > voters of Wuli. They resolved that the flag-bearer should > continue and that the > structures created in Wuli, which enabled the voters to develop > a strong > resistance against inducement and intimidation should be > emulated everywhere. They > mandated me to issue a press release to this effect. They > called for a > tactical alliance between NADD and the other opposition parties > or independent > candidates so that the strength of the opposition in the > National Assembly will > increase. They resolved that all those who are opposed to such > a political > alliance should be seen to be working so that there will be no > opposition in > the National Assembly thus making the Gambia a one party state. > They concluded > that such people should be exposed. What is my respond to the > resolution of > the Executive Committee for me to continue to be flag-bearer? > > _________________________________________________________________ > Stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones with Windows Live Spaces > > http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends.aspx&mkt=en-us > > ���������������������������������������������������������� > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface > at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask] > ���������������������������������������������������������� >