For those of you missing Foroyaa online here is todays editorial from the print version: US AMBASSADOR WHITE DEPARTS THE PROS AND CONS Ambassador White will soon depart from the Gambia. She would be remembered as a technocrat in an ambassador’s clothing who did much to empower the media and civil society through training packages and offer of material resources, showed keen interest in grassroots programmes but put political parties and controversial governance issues at arm’s-length while trying her best to get the Gambia Government to be sensitive to the concerns of the US Government. This approach to diplomacy struck the right chord for the Gambia Government. This could be the reason why Ambassador White was decorated with the insignia of the Grand Commander of the Republic of the Gambia. She would make a good ambassador in a country where there is a genuine multi party system, an Independent legislature and Judiciary, a free media and a strong civil society able to check the abuse of power. In that respect she would be left to grapple with the issues of development. According to her, President Jammeh has promised that she would come to a new Gambia in the next three years. Well, what the IMF has said is that it is giving the Gambia an “Extended Credit Facility (ECF)” in the sum of US$28.3 million). The Board’s decision will enable an immediate disbursement equivalent US$14.2 million).” This is aimed at meeting an acute balance of payments need. The IMF highlights the heavy debt burden, the major crop failure that has created hardship, widened fiscal deficits, erosion of revenue and large extra-budgetary spending. In short, the Government is living above its means. What is expected in the next three years is a limitation of external borrowing to concessional loans in order to reduce the risk of debt distress, rise in fuel prices as a result of reduction of fuel subsidies and higher cost of living as value added tax increases. The tight budgetary constraints that would be introduced will impact negatively on employment, wages, food, rent and cost of living in general leaving the country to be totally unprepared to bear the cost of relief efforts, notably imports of food, seeds, and fertilizer. We hope ambassadors do not romaticise poverty by closing their eyes to the living standard of three quarters of the population of a country and concentrate on the lives of the upper five percent living around the vicinity of a tourism development area. We hope before leaving Madam White would remind the government that contrary to the 72 hours deadline for detention without court appearance, senior staff of NDEA and a former Director General of prisons are still in detention. We hope she will get assurance that such practice would end immediately and the rule of law observed. We hope she would impress on the government to file Nolle prosequi to put an end to all cases that are linked to the National Assembly elections. We hope she will impress on the government to give general amnesty to all those found guilty of crimes related to public order and had not used any violence that led to the killing of anyone. We hope she could get assurance from the government that it will amend the law which empowers the president to dissolve local councils prior to elections and appoint non elected administrators to manage elective offices. We hope the ambassador will get assurance from the government that in three years to come it will separate party from state, employ zero tolerance to the use of Public office by governors, Chiefs and village heads to promote the interest of a political party. We hope she will get assurance that the executive will separate state property and personal property by ensuring that public servants and members of the disciplinary force do not work in any personal property belonging to the head of state or guard any non state residence. We hope that in order to establish a genuine electoral system the state will give assurance that members of the Independent Electoral Commission will be selected in consultation with the inter-party committee. We hope that assurance would be given that a level ground for multi party contest would be created and the creation of a Human Rights Commission would lead to greater protection of and respect for human rights. Lastly we would like to recommend to all governments to renew their recognition of the principle that foreign embassies are the embodiment of sovereignty of foreign countries in each other’s territories. Hence ambassadors should never owe allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign state and should neither accept gifts nor receive decorations from any foreign power or state. The best way an ambassador is to retire from duties in a country is to hold a farewell ceremony and invite the government, political parties and civil society, and give farewell speeches to express appreciation for the hospitality of all and give message on the principles of international relations on which their diplomatic duties rest. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤