ATT Jr.  Umaru Fofana is your fellow West African from SaLone, and I still counsel that you hear him dispassionately.  On issues such as the Professor's dominance, internal democracy within opposition Gambia, failure to appreciate the larger threat to national security as demonstrated by the unjustified collapse of NADD, seasonal politics, etc, we may disagree on degree and significance, but as public matters requiring ventilation, Fofana's observations appear to be on point.  QUICK still a part of your name? Lemme know!   LJDarbo --- On Fri, 25/9/09, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: BBC News Focus on Africa magazine article by Umaru Fofana. To: [log in to unmask] Date: Friday, 25 September, 2009, 8:25 PM You have a way of stopping me in my tracks even when I'm at full throttle. Not this time my man. Wait till I finish wit BBC and Umaru. Then we can talk. Yeah, Eid greetings to your good self too. That is until a name for Harunasilo fast is revealed to me by DaarManso. I must ask for your forebearance to complete te conversation with Fooofan. Haruna. Umaru!! I don't even know what kinda name that is!!! Wowo. -----Original Message----- From: Lamin Darbo <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Fri, Sep 25, 2009 10:59 am Subject: Re: BBC News Focus on Africa magazine article by Umaru Fofana. Haruna  "Short on substance and long on conjecture and listless wayfaring"?.  Your usual forensic dissection of material appears to elude you in this reaction.  We must trim our sympathy for opposition Gambia by dealing with them as adults aspiring to govern us. If you are not fully satisfied with Islamic canons (thinking here of Harunasilo), imagine your potential difficulties in dealing with governance without a clear vision.  Fancy Mile II on fabricated allegations?  If not, I urge that you deal with emerging public life deficiencies before they grow to consume you.  Please accord Umaru Fofana a dispassionate hearing, and before I forgot, belated Eid greetings to your honourable self.      LJDarbo  --- On Fri, 25/9/09, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> Subject: BBC News Focus on Africa magazine article by Umaru Fofana. To: [log in to unmask] Date: Friday, 25 September, 2009, 12:29 PM I read with utter dismay, the report BBC Focus on Africa magazine's Umaru Fofana presented which BBC peddles for an investigative report. It was short on substance and long on conjecture and listless wayfaring. The report was published on 9/24/09 and is titled: Gambia's pitiful political class By Umaru Fofana BBC Focus on Africa magazine Welcome to The Gambia, the land of "His Excellency President Professor=2 0Alhaji Dr AJJ Jammeh", a sign at airport tells visitors to the West African nation.  Here, Below, I will use the report proper to highlight areas of consternation and disappointment. It appears that Reporter Fofana made a visit to Gambia and he chronicles what he saw during that visit. Par for the course. Reporter Fofana also took advantage of his presence in Gambia to speak with members of the opposition parties in Gambia. His presentation of those conversations is the subject of my complaint.  [Petty squabbles All this publicity prompted one opposition spokesman to tell me wryly that the president is the "most popular" person in the country. =0 A “ If we find somebody credible enough to replace [Oussainou Darboe], we shall replace him � UDP party spokesman Femi Peters "It poses a lot of problems for us," he said.] was short on substance and long on conjecture and listless wayfaring.- BBC  Femi Peters is the spokesperson for the opposition United Deocraic Party and Reporter Fofana spoke with Femi Peters. Fofana had all the opportunity in the world to ask Femi any question he so desires on the positi on of the UDP on a myriad issues. This is appreciated.   [That is an understatement. Like elsewhere on the continent, opposition parties in The Gambia are beset with problems besides that of being out of power. The fact that the country has known only two regimes - some would say hegemonies - since becoming independent from the UK in 1965 seems to have blinded the opposition to the fact that their own "democratic credentials are as tattered and torn as the current military strongman-turned-civilian president", according to one Gambian journalist, who did not wish to be named.] Umaru Fofana.  Here, Mr. Fofana re-presents the opinion of an un-named journalist. And Mr. Fofana fronts for a journalist himself. He had the opportunity to investigate this claim because Fofana was present in Gambia and had open access to the opposition parties. I expect Fofana's notes below are exactly trained toward that end.    [The problem is that with the president's authoritarian presence lauding over a nation mired in poverty, you would think the opposition would overcome any petty squabbles to focus on a common enemy.] Umaru Fofana.  Here, Fofana conjctures that the opposition parties are engaged in squabbles and that those squabbles are 'petty' in the face of their challenge to defeat Yahya at the polls. This is unfortunate. I do not know from which country Fofana hails and what his understanding of Gambia opposition squabbles, if any, happen to be, but in this era of diminished fortunes for journalists some sobriety is expected. And given Fofana's first-hand and eye-witness account of the constraints of opposition parties as well as journalists, this conjecture borders on disingenuous and rumour-mongering.  [In fact, many of the leaders of the five opposition political parties in the country can barely stand to hear each other's names.] Umaru Fofana - BBC  Again conjecture. And malignant toward resolution of squabbles, if any. Petty. I am confident NO OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER IN GAMBIA SHARED such inutile disdain of their coleagues with the FOfana.  [Crucially, many Gambians say these parties are guilty of the very thing they often accuse the governing Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) of being: Undemocratic and lacking20transparency.] Umaru Fofana.0A  I expect Fofana will share with us whether his travels to Gambia and his visits with the opposition parties will indicate the reasonableness of this wild allegation.  [Oxygen starved Many do not even have headquarters, and where they do the structure is barely standing upright. Granted, though, they are operating in less-than-ideal circumstances. The governm ent is stifling criticism by trying to cut off the oxygen for some of these parties. The United Democratic Party (UDP), for example, is banned from holding public rallies.] Fofana - BBC.  I suppose this obviates the allegation that the opposition parties are undemocratic and lacking transparency.  [But that is no consolation for many ordinary citizens. "My greatest concern is what happens after President Jammeh leaves or is removed from office," said a school teacher, who did not want to give his name. He lashed out at the president calling him "a despot". But said there was no alternative to Mr Jammeh's rule as opposition parties are not offering anything viable and lack the democratic torch to brighten his country's future.] Fofana - BBC.  We thank Fofana for sharing the "school teacher's" view. It would have been useful if Fofana asked=2 0the school teacher what the "democratic Torch" was in his/her opinion that was supposed to illuminate the future of Banjul. Such mindless and apparently banal comments issue from wanton and listless frustration - witness the school teacher lashing out at Jammeh the despot. It is not clear whether the school teacher, in seeing no better alternative in the opposition, is not acting out of frustration with Jammeh. This comment from the school teacher is therefore not instructive to Fofana's readers. Mere gaucherie.  [This is a common view. One civil servant asked: "When was the last time any political party held any credible and transparent national delegates' conference to subject themselves to the democratic will of their members?"] Umaru Fofana - BBC.  To pass comments from two frustrated Gambians for pervasive OPINION is borderline unprofessional. This civil servant, if he/she were a member of any of the opposition parties of Gambia, would probably have known when his/her party held a "credible and transparent national delegates' conference", and would also be informed of the schedual of his party's congresses. And how does a party's holding a national congress determine its democratic and transparent credentials?  Mr. Fofana, cannot even be properly informed of whether this civil servant is an APRC member, NIA member, Opposition Party member, or an independent citizen voter, given what Fofana knows about the state of affairs in Gambia. And to ad dition this vainglorious comment to "Common view" of the democratic credentials of opposition parties borders on report-padding.  [Long-time leaders The UDP came second in 2006 polls, and is thus the official opposition, but last held a conference in 2000. Some critics even dispute that date, saying the meeting was anything but a convention. The UDP say that they are not even sure when they will hold the next one.] Fofana - BBC  The Gambia has a mi litary dictatorship which as Fofana shared is sparing no efforts to muzzel the opposition parties and the press. Fofana also shares that the UDP is presently banned from holding mere rallies. Is it any wonder then that the UDP finds it hard to hold open congresses or to share the schedual of their congresses with FOfana if they anticipate holding one tomorrow????? Is Fofana aware that Chief Manneh and Kanyibaa Kanyi and a multitude of other Gambians remain abducted and their whereabouts are not known despite Judicial rulings to present them in court? To answer to any and all charges brought against them????  [Most glaringly perhaps, the party has had only one leader since it was founded in 1996.] Fofana again.  How does an opposition party in Gambia having only one leader since independence present a glare on the party's democratic and transparent credentials???? Opposition Party leaders are chosen by the party's members and rank and file. If those who matter choose a leader and maintain that leader for eternity, how does that affect the democratic credentials and transparency of the party?? I'll tell you how. Sans any infringement on the rights and freedom of the voter, It indicates the advanced stage of the party's democracy. And where is Fofana from again????? I trust he is not British. If he were, he would understand the basic tenets of democracy and he would have been dis-ingenuous in his report here.  [Its spokesman and campaign manager since its birth, Femi Peters, said Oussainou Darboe has been at the helm for so long because he is "the fittest person" and shows no compunction in saying so, adding: "If we find somebody credible enough to replace him, we shall replace him."] Fofana - BBC.  Well there you have it. I suppose Fofana does not think the UDP has a lesser democratic credential because "Femi Peters is the UDP's spokesperson and Campaign manager since the party's birth". And Fofana is getting the UDP's position from the UDP's authoritative source.  [Without a delegates' conference in the near future, this will not happen anytime soon.] Fofana - BBC.  WHy would reporter Fofana conjecture that when the UDP holds a delegates' congress, that the UDP will choose another spokesprson/manager or leader?? And if the UDP chooses another one of these, how does that relieve the UDP of democratic and transparency's burdens?  [Mr Darboe himself was out of the country on vacation during my visit and refused to comment via email.] Fofana - BBC  Fofana left Ouainou overseas and flew to visit Gambia. Unless Fofana has not done his homework to schedule his interviews properly he would have known Ousainou was out of Gambia when FOfana visited the country. And Fofana spoke with Femi Peters, the UDP official spokesperson and campaign manager. What does Fofana need to bother Ousainou with by sending e-mail questions to the party leader? How can Ousainou establish the veracity of what the UDP party spokesperson shares with Fofana as the party's position? This is highly unprofessional and indicates Fofana is pursuing the foolhardy prospect of festering the petty squabbles he alluded to earlier.  [Reacting to all this, a journalist I met who is not a supporter of President Jammeh simply shook his head. It seems The Gambia does not follow the precedent of its near-neighbour.] Fofana.  I presume by near-neighbour, Fofana alludes to Senegal. How does what obtains in Senegal become precedent for Gambia in matters of party management???? This is unfortunate. And how does a journalist's cluelessness translate to the ordinary person's deficiencies??? Enquiring minds want to know.0A  [In Sierra Leone the tendency is that anyone who leads a party to a defeat at the polls immediately ceases to be its leader. In contrast, in The Gambia there seems to be no such limit imposed either by a party's internal constitution or its electoral fate.] Fofana - BBC  I suppose Fofana is from Sierra Leone then given his familiarity with that country's party politics. Therefore he should be comforted that Gambia is well within reason NOT to use Freeto wn as guide for party management. We are still living the nightmare that is SierraLeone, hopefully never to repeat anything SierraLeone again. I am shocked Fofana uses SierraLeone as guide for Gambia. WHat happened to the mysterious plane at Lungi by the way? And the rescue efforts in the recent boat accident at Freetown bay? For lack of time now and because Tiger is at East Lake for the Fedex championship, I shall return to my comprehensive complaint of Umaru Fofana's report on BBC. Allez. Haruna. I advise the BBC to reject the temptation for Tabloidery.  Halifa Sallah, once the most vocal and courageous critic of the current regime, is sadly another case in point. He is probably as right as he is complicit when he says Gambians have lost hope in all their politicians. Mr Sallah has been secretary-general of the opposition People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) since its establishment in 1987.=2 0 When asked about internal democracy - or the lack of it - within his party, he deviates into a history lesson, and then gets all philosophical. Unconvincing Defending his long stay at the top echelon of the PDOIS, the former presidential candidate told me that his party was "in transition" from 1987 to 1994 when the military coup happened which banned all political parties. THE GAMBIA AT-A-GLANCE Politics: Gambia has been relatively st able under the iron-fisted rule of Yahya Jammeh, who came to power in a bloodless coup in 1994 Economy: One of Africa's smallest countries has few natural resources and is highly dependent on peanut exports International: Gambia separates northern Senegal from the southern Casamance province; a dispute over ferry tariffs led to a border blockade in 2005 Once the ban was lifted in 1996, he said his PDOIS functioned up to 2001 when they formed an alliance with four other political parties under the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) - but this was an alliance that collapsed pretty much before it started. But Mr Sallah is still the PDOIS secretary-general 22 years on. He concedes the point but is quick to add that his party "operates on [the system of] collective leadership. Individuals who are in authority do not have individual powers… [because]=2 0there is no individual-centred leadership in the20party," he said, sounding as unconvinced as he looks embarrassed. With a governing party respected only by its die-hard supporters, Gambians and most diplomats in the country believe that opposition parties should show a greater level of democracy within to send a strong message to those in power. But perhaps Gambians are all-too-familiar with a statement by their first leader, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who after nearly 30 years in power, announced he was stepping down. This did not stop him returni ng to the fray shortly thereafter saying that his People's Progressive Party had been prevailed upon by the people to let him stay. Not long afterwards he was overthrown in Mr Jammeh's bloodless and initially popular coup. Yet it seems Sir Dawda's words are those many Gambian politicians are still espousing. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8273086.stm Published: 2009/09/24 16:59:42 GMT © BBC MMIX To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listse rv.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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤4¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤