Aye Aye Daffeh. This Jengfann is totally lost in PDOIS. And he knows he doesn't belong there.
Haruna.
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Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:20:00 +0100
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Musa, this is classical you exhibiting yet again, the true virtues of the STGDP; misguided, insulate, disingenuous and naïve.
There
is no need for clarification here as no one is confusing the two. i.e.
(1) negotiation is the public space and (2) putting out a coalition
proposal in the public space. We are saying both of them are stupid
ideas which the UDP will not entertain for they will serve no purpose
other than further polarisation and disunity in the opposition camp.
Thus, if you expect a UDP leadership in such a stupid enterprise, then I
can assure you that you will forever remain disappointed.
Besides,
the approach being advocated by Halifa Sallah is not the conventional
way of negotiating or building a coalition. I live in Europe where
coalitions are a prominent feature of national politics. I
have seen how British Coalition government was been negotiated with
Chris Hunhe and Danny Alexandra (Liberal Democrats) on one hand and
George Osborne and Oliver Letwin (Tories) on the other, pushing their
way through media corridors, saying every little and nothing about their
proposals, and locking themselves up in the Cabinet Office for
substantive talks. It was the same approach that was followed in Italy
and other countries. In a nutshell, this is the way coalitions are built
on planet Earth. If you disagree with me, then I challenge you to cite
one example in which Halifa’s approach was adopted or followed. I think
people like can do this process a great favour if you stop feeding or
giving comfort to Halifa Sallah’s silly intransigence and arrogance.
The
Gambian people will not be voting on the basis of party proposals for
coalition but their programmes and policies on issues that affect their
daily lives such as the economy, better governance, education etc. etc.
and I am happy to state that the UDP already has its programmes and
policies in the public space.
When
you described the UDP as a potential party to lead the opposition, I
hope you do not mean that in the context of the NADD arrangement and
that would amount to wishful thinking.
Regards
Daffeh
On 11 August 2011 03:21, Musa Jeng
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Suntou/Daffeh:
Gentlemen, Ramadan Mubarak to all of you
and your entire family - God knows I need forgiveness from both of you,
but of course Daffeh needs one from me.(laugh) As we are few months away
from the elections, it is sad that we are still busy dancing around the
impasse. There is a need for a clarification that no one is asking for a
public negotiation, but rather a detailed package/proposal to the idea
of a coalition as a way to bring an end to the APRC=Jammeh. It is not
out of order to expect from the UDP, a potential party to lead the
opposition, to craft a detailed proposal, highlighting the kind of
coalition that they believe will bring Gambians in their thousands to
vote against Jammeh, and why it is in the interest of all
Gambians to buy into it. In addition, it is also reasonable to expect
the UDP to highlight the governing aspect after Jammeh is removed from
power. Forget about selling it only to political parties, but come out
to sell it to the entire Gambian nation, and invite political parties
and civic groups to a meeting to deliberate on the issues raised. What
we need is leadership, and not the pss pss pss, let us have it in
private kind of deal. UDP needs to come out and lead.
Thank you
Musa JEng
Subject: Re: [G_L] PDOIS Central Commitee statement On United Opposition. The Long Road To
Laye
You have ably dealt with every aspect of the press statement. In
fact, there are indications that the opposition leaders will be meeting
shortly. I am wondering whether this is an affront to derail that,
because, why would it be necessary to say, each party must bring their
idea to the Gambian media for debate before any UNITED Front is
accepted?
I am also baffled as to why, the notion persist that, no party or
individuals have the ability to put together a document for coalition
building?
However, as far as I know, the UDP's position is for the party
leaders, who are the people the Gambian voter wish to follow, sit and
face each other EYE BALL TO EYE BALL and talk frankly about breaching
the gap. No amount of media debate will achieve that.
Beside, all is aware of the role the media plays in creating and
fermenting the breakdown in NADD. Why should a media exchange of ideas
be even suggested now, in this late stage?
Thanks Laye for the food for thought. All the opposition
leaders must now realise that, Gambians will not accept any excuses.
They should all swim or sink together. Evidently, Gambians across the
country are fed up, but are the opposition leaders fed up or are they
still all seeing this as a battle for personality?
Suntou
On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 2:50 PM, Laye Jallow
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
LJD, Suntu and others:
If
I may; I have a different problem with the message entailed in this
communique from the PDOIS Central Committee in that it seems to be an
act of a proverbial throwing back the hot potato at us - the voters. If
PDOIS acknowledges "the increase in the number of people who seek
clarification on the way forward for building a United Front for the 24
November Presidential Polls in the Gambia" isn't that a compelling
enough reason to do what it must to create the conducive environment for
fruitful talks to that effect? Wouldn't that be a good enough reason to
"focus on the task of building a United Front rather than pontificate
on the effects of a failure" as they put it? I am baffled to say the
least by the attempt at throwing back the responsibility of creating a
united front to citizen voters whose only control over the actions of
the party leaders is through their votes. Why on earth would anyone
expect them to come out in thousands in support of a united front that
is not there in the first place? Are we not putting the cart before the
horse? In other words PDOIS is saying that until they see the numbers
out at the rallies they - PDOIS alone - organize, they will not make
further effort into a united front. Can someone tell me I am reading
this wrong, please!
"Furthermore as of 3rd September 2011, PDOIS will hold major rallies for
a period of two weeks to determine the level of public support for a
United Front. These meetings must be supported massively by those who
support the establishment of a United Front to be deemed successful and
convincing. They must be bigger than the artificial crowd the APRC is
drawing during the official tour of the President to prove that the
opposition should be taken seriously and that we are serious about
establishing a United Front. This is the challenge PDOIS is putting out
to the voters. People should put their efforts where their hearts are if
we are to convince each other that we could move together to be the
architects of a new Gambia. We have only ourselves to blame if we fail
to join others and build a respectable crowd that could show that we are
serious about building a United Front for the election."
Two things: first, I do not like the commanding tone of this paragraph –
I do not like the use of the word “MUST” - in that it seeks to hold
voters at ransom - turn up in thousands or else we will not go any
further with this. Why would PDOIS throw out a “challenge” to voters to
prove to them they are serious about a united front? Am baffled. It is
elementary politics to understand that you don’t get votes by demanding
from voters without giving them the hope and or clue as to what they
will get in return. Gambian voters are not a different breed to be
stewarded around for a party’s internal decision making. If PDOIS wants
to decide whether to join a united front or not, they need not drag the
voters into that decision especially when they have already
acknowledged "the increase in the number of people who seek
clarification on the way forward for building a United Front….”
Second is that the question to ask of PDOIS is whether without a united
front they will be able to fill up the independence stadium as they seem
to demand herein? Do they expect people to turn up to their rallies
without solid evidence - as in lining up ALL opposition leaders - that
there is going to be a united front. It is safe to assure PDOIS that if
they announce that they will be organizing a rally with ALL opposition
leaders lined up - PDOIS, UDP, NRP, etc. or just PDOIS and UDP -
thousands will flock to the scene and I don't have a doubt about that
happening. They did it at the launch of NADD in 2006. The hope was there
and people showed up in thousands! It is wrong to hold us at ransom for
your own internal party decisions. Furthermore, it has been made clear
to PDOIS through STGDP that the financial support will be forthcoming
when folks see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. This was
the case in 2006 and it is no different now. The simple of it is that if
you want the people behind you; give them the reason to do so. You
cannot ask people to show up for you to convince yourself that it is
worth trying to unite. PDOIS and all the other opposition parties need
to understand that a united front will do better in getting the numbers
lined up not the other way round. How many times and in how many ways do
we have to say this?