From: Pasamba Jow <[log in to unmask]>
To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 10:44 pm
Subject: Interview with Maafanta
Pa Samba Jow , PDOIS, 8 Quick Questions
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- Well Pa Samba, let's twist this. Burning issues first.
Rambo has defected now we see, what do you think?
- Rambo’s defection is another testament of what is wrong with the Gambians
today. First, his defection should not be used as a basis to bash the
opposition. If Rambo’s defection proves anything it is the hypocritical and
fraudulent nature of this man. This is the same man who few weeks ago
was questioning and condemning the honesty and character of Jammeh
only to turn around and join him-the same Jammeh who tortured and
unconstitutionally imprisoned him. I can say without any fear of
exaggeration, that the UDP in particular and the Opposition in general are
better off without this spineless fraud.
I have heard people argue that, Rambo’s defection to the APRC could be
as a result of his frustration with the UDP leadership. This argument would
have made sense if he had defected to another opposition party, formed
his own party or stayed away from politics, but to join the monster he
claimed to have opposed defied common sense. Jammeh is still the tyrant
that Rambo opposed and mostly interestingly, Rambo has gone from a
political force in the opposition to a sycophantic follower of Jammeh tasked
with defending the indefensible.
1. The Coronation. Halipha says it cannot be possible. Cannot happen on the back of the people, but
guess what we see on Raaki TV, Representatives from all over the country say otherwise. Are we just out of
touch with Gambians, is it just blind arrogance with Halipha, or is there something that Halipha got on the
country that we don’t catch?
Pasamba: Well, I must first thank you for allowing me this opportunity to shed light on these important questions.
However, I’d like to state that I am neither the spokesperson for PDOIS nor do I intend to speak for PDOIS. I am a
Gambian, an activist who happens to be a militant/supporter of the party. I don’t see Halifa's pronouncement that a
monarch in the Gambia is not possible as being blind arrogance, rather it is a stipulation that is expected from any
serious politician and this sentiment has been echoed by Ousainou Darboe of the UDP in his interview with VOA, where
he stated "There’s not a single government official who has condemned their so-called campaign to convert the
president of The Gambia to king of the Gambia or to convert the Gambia from a republican state to a monarchy. The
majority leader (of the Gambian parliament) did say that the constitution is not the holy Koran; it can be changed. But,
we know that this is not possible without going to a referendum,”.
What Halifa did was mention the relevant section of the constitution which says that to amend an entrenched clause of
the constitution will require a referendum, with fifty percent of registered voters participating and with seventy- five
percent of those voters backing that particular agenda.
I think sometimes we confuse a principled stance as arrogance. What I know is Halifa’s resolve to fight for what is right
and in the interest of the Gambian people, and just like he and Sidia stood up to the Junta in its early days when most all
politicians at the time decided to go on political holiday as was put by Sheriff Dibba , like he stood up to the regime
when it subjected innocent Gambians through the ridiculous witch hunting among other issues. I must hasten to add
that Halifa is under no illusion in knowing that Jammeh has monarchial powers, this is what he has repeated over and
over again in his writings and speeches and is one of the reasons he feels Gambians should vote Jammeh out to
restore the sovereignty of the people. Even though I believe that Jammeh runs the country like a king, and that he has
gotten away with such heinous crimes as murdering innocent Gambians to pillaging our meager resources with little or
no consequences to him, I still believe that there are genuine Gambians who’d rather die than be further subjugated
under the monarchial rule of Jammeh. I know that you, Fatou Jaw Manneh, will be in the forefront of that fight like many
other dedicated Gambians in the struggle to see our nation free from tyranny.
2. What and where is PDOIS heading to?
PDOIS is heading to where all other serious political parties are heading to. They’re selling Agenda 2011 to the
Gambian people and are hoping that a coalition will eventually be forged with other parties. It was reported that Sidia
Jatta and Ousainou Darboe had a meeting and have promised to meet again. Hopefully, we will eventually have an
agreement so that we can mount a credible campaign against the tyrant. The leadership is working around the clock on
its agenda and helping Gambians. Absent a coalition, the party will continue to do its work, the work it has been doing
for the past twenty-four years, knowing full well that the struggle to enlighten and free a people is a long and intricate
journey that requires commitment and resilience. Undoubtedly, PDOIS will succeed in its quest to see a Gambia where
people live in liberty, dignity and prosperity.
3. 20 yrs and what progress has it made on our conscience/Gambia?
There is no party that can claim to have contributed more to the progress of Gambians over the past twenty four years
than PDOIS. I am like many Gambians - a by-product of that progress. Prior to the inception of PDOIS, all that mattered
to me was football, but working with them helped me in seeing the importance of political involvement. I went from a mere
political spectator, whose only interest in it was the euphoria and fanfare that surrounded elections- (we all remember
those AA Njie -Jawara days-) to an active participant in the political process. Sometimes, people unfairly look at the
election outcomes and dismiss the significance of the opposition parties, or in this instance PDOIS. We all know that
Gambian politics is less about ideas and more about inducement. If Gambians were to Judge Jammeh's credentials
against Darboe or Halifa, he would never win elections in our country. For PDOIS to be competitive, it would have to
resort to the politics it has always criticized- the politics of asobis, patronage, inducement, bribery, the politics of hassteh
etc. Let us look at the current political climate in the Gambia. We have a leader, who has no problem putting D1m in a
brief case and giving it to people; politics where civil servants are forced to buy the colors of the APRC ( Asobi) or risk
losing their jobs; politics where you have to cook the benachins, slaughter bulls, hire drummers etc to be able win the
support of the people. Should I add that there is absolutely no level playing field in Gambian politics?
PDOIS, despite its trials and limited resources is the most active political party in the Gambia, the only party
that operates its offices every single day. It runs one of the best Nursery schools that nurtures well
prepared primary school bound students, maintains one of the most credible newspapers in the country ,
and operates a social clinic which sees people from as far as koina, who congregate daily to seek
assistance from the party for legal matters and other issues, most of whom do not even vote for or support
the party . There is absolutely no doubt that PDOIS members are viewed by most Gambians as the most
credible politicians. It has built a reputation for telling the truth and for not engaging in petty politics. So
PDOIS’ impact on the progress and conscience of the Gambian people is tremendous and hopefully history
will judge its members and leadership favorably for tirelessly working hard for the Gambian people.
4. What do you tell your supporters you are doing and what to expect?
That PDOIS is here to stay and will continue to defend the rights of the Gambian people in spite of the peril. PDOIS will
talk to all the other opposition parties with the hope of forging an acceptable coalition that will empower the Gambian
people with the sole objective of restoring the sovereignty of the people and widening of the democratic space in the
Gambia.
5. Almost 5o percent of the country is illiterate, not sure about the
statistics, and half of the youth population is out of the country, the other half
is singing songs about Jammeh even Halipha noticed that. So what part of the
population is PDOIS educating? And how long will it take?
Fatou, as far as I am concerned, the problem with Gambia is not about illiteracy and literacy - it is a deeper problem
than that. First, the biggest problem today in the Gambia are the so called educated or intellectuals, for they are the
ones lining up for jobs from Jammeh. They are the ones forcing their subordinates to go and cultivate Jammeh's farm,
they are his ministers and defenders, the very people who would write letters to the editors thanking Jammeh for hiring
them, this after they have been fired and humiliated. . It is the intellectuals who serve as Permanent Secretaries and
Directors who are parading their employees to Jammeh’s farm to cultivate it. They are the ones who are more interested
in saving their jobs than standing for what is right, we all remember Dr. Amadou Janneh, who coined the phrase “Aimless
People Running the Country”, but he had no problem joining the tyrant when offered a job.
The denigration of Gambians to mere beggars and the appeasement of the tyrant is one of our leading
problems. We recently saw Africell donating two hundred rams to Yahya Jammeh, not that he needs them
but as an insurance for their company against his assault and as long as this continues, no amount of
education and enlightenment will free us. The culture of selfishness and beggardom must cease if we are
to go anywhere.
Let’s look at the Diaspora where most of the criticisms against the opposition emanates. We are people who have no
problem analyzing and second guessing everything the opposition does or says, but when called to action, you will find
very few people who would want to put their necks on the line, because they want to be able to go back to visit the
Gambia without interruption, and are afraid to be heard openly criticizing the tyrant for fear of what he would do to them.
In July of this year at the Global Day of Action protest organized by Amnesty International in DC, there were only three
Gambians in attendance, yet most of those who chose to stay away are those who question the bravery and wherewithal
of the opposition leaders on the ground. This attitude leads me to call on those who characterize the opposition on the
ground as inept and useless, to pack their things and go back to the Gambia and lead the struggle. I think it is quite
hypocritical for one to sit thousands of miles away with the comfort of a laptop and throw diatribes at those who are
doing their best according to their circumstances, yet when one is called upon to do a fraction of what one is demanding
from the opposition leaders, one is nowhere to be found. I still remember how people questioned your decision to visit
the Gambia after your arrest, while ignoring the fact that you have the right to visit your own country. Fatou, this is why
our struggle is a very lonely one
6. Pa Samba, The Paramount Chief and all the other chiefs made it clear
that the constitution is not written on stone, “it is not a Quranic text neither is it culled
from the bible” if I will quote them. The National assembly members are put in place
by the Gambian people, so they will do what the people asked them to do they say. So
why on earth does Halipha think that the constitution can stop them?
The paramount chief and his colleagues are sycophants who have no dignity and respect for themselves. All that
matters to them is staying in their outdated positions as chiefs even if it means killing for Jammeh. They are not any
different from the members of Supreme Islamic Council. The Quran doesn’t even mean anything to them. One of the
most important tenet of Islam is to fear no one but GOD, that you must be honest and truthful, so if these people
knowing all the crimes that Jammeh commits and gave a blind eye and went on to bestow on him the title of sheikh, I see
no reason for them not to want to make him a king. What is important though is that we can stand up and say no to this
nonsense by standing up to these ingratiating charlatans.
7. With the Jammeh regime What and where has the constitution helped in
any of the tortures, arrests and killings in the Gambia?
No constitution on its own had ever stopped a government from abrogating rights, what a constitution must do is to
serve as guide for governance and a restraint against abuse of power. It is the people who use a constitution to stop
abuse. I refer the reader to the following quote “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the
people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests”
Patrick Henry
So Fatou, we as Gambians will have to force Jammeh to respect the constitution and stop the abrogation of the rights of
Gambians, and how we do that is the reason for some of the genuine debates and disagreements. What is important
though, is that we do not relent in our pursuit of this goal. There is no doubt that struggle for liberty against any tyrant is
long and difficult, but with resilience and commitment we will definitely overcome.
8. A Guinean friend just called, from England and we talked briefly about how come Conde won?
Though he was a Conde supporter, he was not optimistic he will win. What did he do differently, last minute I asked him.
He is a Conde supporter ever since but we all thought Conde might not make it. “Oh yes Fatou you know what?”, he
replied." I am a Conde supporter but am surprised myself. What tipped the vote’s last minute forConde was that Conde
is elite but he communicated with the Guinean people at their level. He does not speak French to everyone.
Cellou Jallow speaks only French even to the Fulas, so if you are not in the capital and don’t understand French so be
it. The Fulanis control all the businesses on the ground, so they close all the shops when they go on Cellou meetings.
They have showed their powers in no easy means. So the arrogance scared the people. Especially the Sussu tribe in
the capital. They are powerful. Arrogance and elitism killed Cellou’s prospects. Especially with the powerful Susus in the
capital who has equal powers especially when it comes to language. All the other ethnic groups in Guinea speak Susu.
So Conde’s speeches in Susu blew the Susus away plus all the other ethnic groups. Many people related to Conde
because they can understand exactly what he is talking about. For Cellou Jallow, even the uneducated Fulas cannot
understand him unless you speak French. So that is what tiltedConde’s votes last minute. He reached out to everyone.
He did not alienate any ethnic group.” I don’t know whether his analysis is right or not, but it rang a bell somewhere.
Halipha is not victim to any language, he speaks Mandinka better than me and you, but what am thinking is, is Halipha
and Ousainu both out of touch with Gambian voters? Because Halipha’s insistence that the constitution is going to
save us when the constitution never saved us is worrisome. Jammeh has usurped the constitution a thousand times
over. He has no respect for it. He even stated it loud and clear that he has no time for none of them. He will never
campaign against them he said because they are not worth his time it according to him. Your take on this?
I have a different take on the Guinean elections. I believe that Cellou Diallo was robbed of victory. Lest we forget, Cellou
handily defeated all the candidates in the first round of voting including Conde.
Coming to the Gambia. Neither Ousainou nor Halifa is out of touch with the electorate. Darboe has been one of the
leading defenders of human rights in the Country, and has been representing ordinary Gambians, listening to and
understanding their concerns. He conducts all his campaigns in the local languages mostly in madinka and wollof both of
which he speaks fluently, he is also surrounded by very eloquent and seasoned politicians. The same can be said about
Halifa, who for the past thirty-two years since returning to the Gambia, working at the social welfare office, working with
the society for the blind to the formation of the People’e Democratic Organization For Independence and Socialism –
PDOIS, has been and continues to work directly with people, helping them solve their problems and fight their battles.
So here, one can see that these personalities are really in touch with the people they hope to one day lead. What one
can question is their tactics and not their understanding of the Gambian electorate and what ails our nation.
Quite often, people repeat the fallacious statement that PDOIS is too sophisticated for the Gambian electorate, like the
party talks about issues that are beyond the grasp of the people. Yet still, if you were to survey the Gambian people
about PDOIS’ message they will overwhelmingly tell you that they are honest and truthful- that they have a great
understanding of the socio-economic and political issues in the Gambia.
One of the primary reasons why I believe, PDOIS message doesn’t translate into votes, is precisely because
it doesn’t participate in the politics of inducement and fanfare. There is absolutely no doubt, that if the party
were to engage in the usual politics of slaughtering bulls, bribing voters, vilifying opponents, dishing out money, they
would be as successful as any other party. We all know that the only reason why Jammeh continues to “win” elections is
because the practice of dishing out his ill gotten wealth to the poor people, together with his intimidation tactics.
No party in the country can refute the credibility of PDOIS and that credibility can never be brought to
disrepute.
Again thank you for giving me this opportunity to discuss these pertinent issues on your august paper which in just over
a year of existence has become the leading paper in discussing divergent views. Keep up the good work, you are
indeed an inspiration to many Gambians including myself.
Thank you maryland Senator!!
Thank you Fatou
guess what we see on Raaki TV, Representatives from all over the country say otherwise. Are we just out of
touch with Gambians, is it just blind arrogance with Halipha, or is there something that Halipha got on the
country that we don’t catch?
Pasamba: Well, I must first thank you for allowing me this opportunity to shed light on these important questions.
However, I’d like to state that I am neither the spokesperson for PDOIS nor do I intend to speak for PDOIS. I am a
Gambian, an activist who happens to be a militant/supporter of the party. I don’t see Halifa's pronouncement that a
monarch in the Gambia is not possible as being blind arrogance, rather it is a stipulation that is expected from any
serious politician and this sentiment has been echoed by Ousainou Darboe of the UDP in his interview with VOA, where
he stated "There’s not a single government official who has condemned their so-called campaign to convert the
president of The Gambia to king of the Gambia or to convert the Gambia from a republican state to a monarchy. The
majority leader (of the Gambian parliament) did say that the constitution is not the holy Koran; it can be changed. But,
we know that this is not possible without going to a referendum,”.
What Halifa did was mention the relevant section of the constitution which says that to amend an entrenched clause of
the constitution will require a referendum, with fifty percent of registered voters participating and with seventy- five
percent of those voters backing that particular agenda.
I think sometimes we confuse a principled stance as arrogance. What I know is Halifa’s resolve to fight for what is right
and in the interest of the Gambian people, and just like he and Sidia stood up to the Junta in its early days when most all
politicians at the time decided to go on political holiday as was put by Sheriff Dibba , like he stood up to the regime
when it subjected innocent Gambians through the ridiculous witch hunting among other issues. I must hasten to add
that Halifa is under no illusion in knowing that Jammeh has monarchial powers, this is what he has repeated over and
over again in his writings and speeches and is one of the reasons he feels Gambians should vote Jammeh out to
restore the sovereignty of the people. Even though I believe that Jammeh runs the country like a king, and that he has
gotten away with such heinous crimes as murdering innocent Gambians to pillaging our meager resources with little or
no consequences to him, I still believe that there are genuine Gambians who’d rather die than be further subjugated
under the monarchial rule of Jammeh. I know that you, Fatou Jaw Manneh, will be in the forefront of that fight like many
other dedicated Gambians in the struggle to see our nation free from tyranny.
2. What and where is PDOIS heading to?
PDOIS is heading to where all other serious political parties are heading to. They’re selling Agenda 2011 to the
Gambian people and are hoping that a coalition will eventually be forged with other parties. It was reported that Sidia
Jatta and Ousainou Darboe had a meeting and have promised to meet again. Hopefully, we will eventually have an
agreement so that we can mount a credible campaign against the tyrant. The leadership is working around the clock on
its agenda and helping Gambians. Absent a coalition, the party will continue to do its work, the work it has been doing
for the past twenty-four years, knowing full well that the struggle to enlighten and free a people is a long and intricate
journey that requires commitment and resilience. Undoubtedly, PDOIS will succeed in its quest to see a Gambia where
people live in liberty, dignity and prosperity.
3. 20 yrs and what progress has it made on our conscience/Gambia?
There is no party that can claim to have contributed more to the progress of Gambians over the past twenty four years
than PDOIS. I am like many Gambians - a by-product of that progress. Prior to the inception of PDOIS, all that mattered
to me was football, but working with them helped me in seeing the importance of political involvement. I went from a mere
political spectator, whose only interest in it was the euphoria and fanfare that surrounded elections- (we all remember
those AA Njie -Jawara days-) to an active participant in the political process. Sometimes, people unfairly look at the
election outcomes and dismiss the significance of the opposition parties, or in this instance PDOIS. We all know that
Gambian politics is less about ideas and more about inducement. If Gambians were to Judge Jammeh's credentials
against Darboe or Halifa, he would never win elections in our country. For PDOIS to be competitive, it would have to
resort to the politics it has always criticized- the politics of asobis, patronage, inducement, bribery, the politics of hassteh
etc. Let us look at the current political climate in the Gambia. We have a leader, who has no problem putting D1m in a
brief case and giving it to people; politics where civil servants are forced to buy the colors of the APRC ( Asobi) or risk
losing their jobs; politics where you have to cook the benachins, slaughter bulls, hire drummers etc to be able win the
support of the people. Should I add that there is absolutely no level playing field in Gambian politics?
PDOIS, despite its trials and limited resources is the most active political party in the Gambia, the only party
that operates its offices every single day. It runs one of the best Nursery schools that nurtures well
prepared primary school bound students, maintains one of the most credible newspapers in the country ,
and operates a social clinic which sees people from as far as koina, who congregate daily to seek
assistance from the party for legal matters and other issues, most of whom do not even vote for or support
the party . There is absolutely no doubt that PDOIS members are viewed by most Gambians as the most
credible politicians. It has built a reputation for telling the truth and for not engaging in petty politics. So
PDOIS’ impact on the progress and conscience of the Gambian people is tremendous and hopefully history
will judge its members and leadership favorably for tirelessly working hard for the Gambian people.
4. What do you tell your supporters you are doing and what to expect?
That PDOIS is here to stay and will continue to defend the rights of the Gambian people in spite of the peril. PDOIS will
talk to all the other opposition parties with the hope of forging an acceptable coalition that will empower the Gambian
people with the sole objective of restoring the sovereignty of the people and widening of the democratic space in the
Gambia.
5. Almost 5o percent of the country is illiterate, not sure about the
statistics, and half of the youth population is out of the country, the other half
is singing songs about Jammeh even Halipha noticed that. So what part of the
population is PDOIS educating? And how long will it take?
Fatou, as far as I am concerned, the problem with Gambia is not about illiteracy and literacy - it is a deeper problem
than that. First, the biggest problem today in the Gambia are the so called educated or intellectuals, for they are the
ones lining up for jobs from Jammeh. They are the ones forcing their subordinates to go and cultivate Jammeh's farm,
they are his ministers and defenders, the very people who would write letters to the editors thanking Jammeh for hiring
them, this after they have been fired and humiliated. . It is the intellectuals who serve as Permanent Secretaries and
Directors who are parading their employees to Jammeh’s farm to cultivate it. They are the ones who are more interested
in saving their jobs than standing for what is right, we all remember Dr. Amadou Janneh, who coined the phrase “Aimless
People Running the Country”, but he had no problem joining the tyrant when offered a job.
The denigration of Gambians to mere beggars and the appeasement of the tyrant is one of our leading
problems. We recently saw Africell donating two hundred rams to Yahya Jammeh, not that he needs them
but as an insurance for their company against his assault and as long as this continues, no amount of
education and enlightenment will free us. The culture of selfishness and beggardom must cease if we are
to go anywhere.
Let’s look at the Diaspora where most of the criticisms against the opposition emanates. We are people who have no
problem analyzing and second guessing everything the opposition does or says, but when called to action, you will find
very few people who would want to put their necks on the line, because they want to be able to go back to visit the
Gambia without interruption, and are afraid to be heard openly criticizing the tyrant for fear of what he would do to them.
In July of this year at the Global Day of Action protest organized by Amnesty International in DC, there were only three
Gambians in attendance, yet most of those who chose to stay away are those who question the bravery and wherewithal
of the opposition leaders on the ground. This attitude leads me to call on those who characterize the opposition on the
ground as inept and useless, to pack their things and go back to the Gambia and lead the struggle. I think it is quite
hypocritical for one to sit thousands of miles away with the comfort of a laptop and throw diatribes at those who are
doing their best according to their circumstances, yet when one is called upon to do a fraction of what one is demanding
from the opposition leaders, one is nowhere to be found. I still remember how people questioned your decision to visit
the Gambia after your arrest, while ignoring the fact that you have the right to visit your own country. Fatou, this is why
our struggle is a very lonely one
6. Pa Samba, The Paramount Chief and all the other chiefs made it clear
that the constitution is not written on stone, “it is not a Quranic text neither is it culled
from the bible” if I will quote them. The National assembly members are put in place
by the Gambian people, so they will do what the people asked them to do they say. So
why on earth does Halipha think that the constitution can stop them?
The paramount chief and his colleagues are sycophants who have no dignity and respect for themselves. All that
matters to them is staying in their outdated positions as chiefs even if it means killing for Jammeh. They are not any
different from the members of Supreme Islamic Council. The Quran doesn’t even mean anything to them. One of the
most important tenet of Islam is to fear no one but GOD, that you must be honest and truthful, so if these people
knowing all the crimes that Jammeh commits and gave a blind eye and went on to bestow on him the title of sheikh, I see
no reason for them not to want to make him a king. What is important though is that we can stand up and say no to this
nonsense by standing up to these ingratiating charlatans.
7. With the Jammeh regime What and where has the constitution helped in
any of the tortures, arrests and killings in the Gambia?
No constitution on its own had ever stopped a government from abrogating rights, what a constitution must do is to
serve as guide for governance and a restraint against abuse of power. It is the people who use a constitution to stop
abuse. I refer the reader to the following quote “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the
people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests”
Patrick Henry
So Fatou, we as Gambians will have to force Jammeh to respect the constitution and stop the abrogation of the rights of
Gambians, and how we do that is the reason for some of the genuine debates and disagreements. What is important
though, is that we do not relent in our pursuit of this goal. There is no doubt that struggle for liberty against any tyrant is
long and difficult, but with resilience and commitment we will definitely overcome.
8. A Guinean friend just called, from England and we talked briefly about how come Conde won?
Though he was a Conde supporter, he was not optimistic he will win. What did he do differently, last minute I asked him.
He is a Conde supporter ever since but we all thought Conde might not make it. “Oh yes Fatou you know what?”, he
replied." I am a Conde supporter but am surprised myself. What tipped the vote’s last minute forConde was that Conde
is elite but he communicated with the Guinean people at their level. He does not speak French to everyone.
Cellou Jallow speaks only French even to the Fulas, so if you are not in the capital and don’t understand French so be
it. The Fulanis control all the businesses on the ground, so they close all the shops when they go on Cellou meetings.
They have showed their powers in no easy means. So the arrogance scared the people. Especially the Sussu tribe in
the capital. They are powerful. Arrogance and elitism killed Cellou’s prospects. Especially with the powerful Susus in the
capital who has equal powers especially when it comes to language. All the other ethnic groups in Guinea speak Susu.
So Conde’s speeches in Susu blew the Susus away plus all the other ethnic groups. Many people related to Conde
because they can understand exactly what he is talking about. For Cellou Jallow, even the uneducated Fulas cannot
understand him unless you speak French. So that is what tiltedConde’s votes last minute. He reached out to everyone.
He did not alienate any ethnic group.” I don’t know whether his analysis is right or not, but it rang a bell somewhere.
Halipha is not victim to any language, he speaks Mandinka better than me and you, but what am thinking is, is Halipha
and Ousainu both out of touch with Gambian voters? Because Halipha’s insistence that the constitution is going to
save us when the constitution never saved us is worrisome. Jammeh has usurped the constitution a thousand times
over. He has no respect for it. He even stated it loud and clear that he has no time for none of them. He will never
campaign against them he said because they are not worth his time it according to him. Your take on this?
I have a different take on the Guinean elections. I believe that Cellou Diallo was robbed of victory. Lest we forget, Cellou
handily defeated all the candidates in the first round of voting including Conde.
Coming to the Gambia. Neither Ousainou nor Halifa is out of touch with the electorate. Darboe has been one of the
leading defenders of human rights in the Country, and has been representing ordinary Gambians, listening to and
understanding their concerns. He conducts all his campaigns in the local languages mostly in madinka and wollof both of
which he speaks fluently, he is also surrounded by very eloquent and seasoned politicians. The same can be said about
Halifa, who for the past thirty-two years since returning to the Gambia, working at the social welfare office, working with
the society for the blind to the formation of the People’e Democratic Organization For Independence and Socialism –
PDOIS, has been and continues to work directly with people, helping them solve their problems and fight their battles.
So here, one can see that these personalities are really in touch with the people they hope to one day lead. What one
can question is their tactics and not their understanding of the Gambian electorate and what ails our nation.
Quite often, people repeat the fallacious statement that PDOIS is too sophisticated for the Gambian electorate, like the
party talks about issues that are beyond the grasp of the people. Yet still, if you were to survey the Gambian people
about PDOIS’ message they will overwhelmingly tell you that they are honest and truthful- that they have a great
understanding of the socio-economic and political issues in the Gambia.
One of the primary reasons why I believe, PDOIS message doesn’t translate into votes, is precisely because
it doesn’t participate in the politics of inducement and fanfare. There is absolutely no doubt, that if the party
were to engage in the usual politics of slaughtering bulls, bribing voters, vilifying opponents, dishing out money, they
would be as successful as any other party. We all know that the only reason why Jammeh continues to “win” elections is
because the practice of dishing out his ill gotten wealth to the poor people, together with his intimidation tactics.
No party in the country can refute the credibility of PDOIS and that credibility can never be brought to
disrepute.
Again thank you for giving me this opportunity to discuss these pertinent issues on your august paper which in just over
a year of existence has become the leading paper in discussing divergent views. Keep up the good work, you are
indeed an inspiration to many Gambians including myself.
Thank you maryland Senator!!
Thank you Fatou
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