Halifa, I wanted to ignore your reply until Friday evening when I'll have some time, but I could not resist the temptation to read your mail. I'm totally surprised that you don't remember me. Maybe I've truly been away from the Gambia for too long. My Mom keeps telling me that. In any case, if you remember Ebrima Sankareh (Gorrghi,) that should refresh your memory. Or maybe, Auntie Amie may be able to help. I hope you won't forget your supporters so quickly when you become president (just kidding.) Regarding my adjoinder to Cherno Baba's, it may be crass stupidity, but what he said in his piece about you reminded me of our conversation in the summer of 1996 (August to be exact.) Like we say in Gambia, "where everybody knows everybody else, there's no need for last name enquiries." I'm sorry if that strikes you as immature or naive. Thanks to this electronic age, I'm inserting the letter I sent to you in 1996 verbatim. That should remind you of our conversation. Regarding the constitution, I'm hoping you'll elaborate. I wouldn't be too excited if I were you regarding your postulation on the constitution. The fact is, many of us have never seen a copy of this document. I've seen exerpts, and I didn't like what I saw. Considering what has been happening to members of the opposition, journalists, and ordinary Gambians, that fear doesn't seem to be misplaced at all. I'm still curious to know what motivated you to campaign for a doc that blatantly ignored the wishes of the Gambian people in terms of instituting a Term Limit for the presidency. And the notorious Indemnity Clause that is a Passpartout (excuse my French) for a select group of people to do what they want with impunity. At this point, my brain is failing me. Ten hours in a sea of figures/fin analysis is taking it's toll. I'll stop here for now, and hopefully, I'll be in better shape on Friday. One thing though, I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to take anything away from you. I acknowledge and respect your contribution to Gambians' political awareness during the Jawara regime. I was a big PDOIS fan. Not to brag, but I literally forced two of my sisters and their husbands to vote for you in '87. But since the coup, I've not liked what I've seen coming from your end. To me, you've become part of the problem in the Gambia: - excusing Yaya Jammeh's excesses by making comparisons w/ the PPP era. In short, giving comfort to a regime that leaves a lot to be desired. It's not my style to kow-tow to anyone, and I've no intention of starting now. So, if you can convince me that I'm wrong about you, I'll apologize, otherwise, you're most welcome to continue this debate into the next millinium. If needs be, I'll quote exactly what you said to me about Yaya when we spoke in August '96. Until next time, here is the letter I sent you then. I hope it helps you memory: Yaya and Jawara: Comrades in Doom? By Saul Saidykhan "If there is anything we learn from history, it is that we don't learn from history." G.W.F. Hegel, Philosophy of History. Until now, I've considered myself a staunch supporter of what the AFPRC is trying to do in The Gambia. Unlike Jawara, Yaya, in his speeches is mostly very inarticulate. But, his actions reveal what appears to be a sincere love for The Gambia. To be exact, Yaya has stuck to many vital promises he has made. In two years, Yaya has done what the PPP failed to do in thirty years. In addition to the infrastructural developments undertaken, Yaya has brought back a "sense of shame" (or decency, if one pleases) to Gambian public life. This has been absent for a very long time. Three years ago, people not only steal public money publicly, but they shamelessly flaunt it as well. That has changed. Many of such people are being given a ride on the Hell-Express. And we should all thank Yaya for a job being well done. However, we've got to draw the line somewhere. Between Yaya and Jawara, I prefer Yaya. But Jawara is no longer in the picture. We are now dealing with a whole new set of players. Which is to say, we need a new strategy in our search for progress. Unfortunately, Yaya seems to be using Jawara's record as an excuse to break the covenant he has made with the Gambian people. Promises, Rhetoric, Slogans. When the AFPRC took over two years ago, a few things stood out: "...transparency, accountability..., `soldiers with a difference.'" We took this with a pinch of salt, because we've heard it all before. But when they spared the lives of the PPP elite, and allowed a relatively free press, we saw reason to believe the AFPRC's "difference" from their counterparts in other African countries. The development projects undertaken since, has only cemented this positive view of the AFPRC. To some of us who have become "believers," the AFPRC is committed to it's transitional program. We try to give the Council the benefit of the doubt when a crisis occurs. We even turned a blind eye on the murder of Koro Ceesay, though all the evidence points to elements within the army. To date, no one has been brought to justice for this heinous crime. (For a leader who has made "accountability" the hallmark of his reign, Yaya's failure to bring Koro's murderers to justice is simply unforgiveable.) To make matters worse, it is very clear now that the AFPRC does not intend to give up power. The last edition of "Upfront" leaves no doubt about where the army stands. This is a serious miscalculation of the basis of public support for the AFPRC. That support is conditional on the AFPRC sticking to its promises, irrespective of what development projects are under-taken. Further, the AFPRC's breaking of it's main promise to hand over power to civilians will be a shame for several reasons. First, the AFPRC government is supposed to be a "provisional" government, not one that would metamorphose into a psuedo-civilian government. They are supposed to be "career soldiers", not politicians. They've made it a point to emphasize time and again that they are not "power hungry." One of the most touted slogans of the AFPRC has been that they are "Soldiers with a difference." Well, the biggest test of the AFPRC's "difference" is its willingness or ability to give up power; to demonstrate their "difference" from their counterparts in say, Nigeria. So far, the AFPRC is acting exactly like their peers have, all over Africa. In order to be "different," the Council needs to stick to it's promise. And the time is now. Secondly, in addition to the AFPRC's publicly professed acceptance of the National Consultative Committee (NCC) report, (which limits the army's mandate to two years, this July,) Yaya has publicly said he will not seek the presidency. He intends to "retire and become a farmer," he said. In accepting the NCC report, the AFPRC has signed a covenant with Gambians. Yaya's public renunciation of a run for the presidency has sealed that covenant. It should not be broken. As a matter of fact, the specter of a Yaya candidacy should not be raised at all. And if Yaya is honorable, he won't let anyone raise it. There is something terribly wrong with a society when leaders make promises publicly and then shamelessly renege on those promises. And try to intimidate anyone who remembers those promises! Jawara caused a raucus in 1992 when he reneged on his promise to retire. Most Gambians looking for decent leadership at the time, called him what he is: a hypocrite. Today, only the name of the leader has changed. Yaya's self-serving amnesia about his promise not to run, is a classic example of the kind of leadership we don't need in The Gambia, and he isn't very polite about it. Going round the country, and treating people to colanuts, but telling those same people that they don't have the right to ask why they are being given colanuts is, at best, very childish. But that Yaya now has a problem telling Gambians he is running for the presidency shows he is conscious of the hypocrisy he is engaged in. Saying publicly that you want to be a farmer one year, then that you meant a farmer at State House the next year, is quite a task for even the lowest of politicians. And not every Gambian has a short memory. For someone who has toppled Jawara, Yaya's inability to learn from history is alarming. Like we say in Gambia, "the dog that has beaten Jawara is menacingly closing in on Yaya." The only question is whether Yaya wants to save himself. No one else can. Deception and Reality Yaya is acting as if there is a genuine "grassroots attempt" to draft him for the presidency. Anyone with basic commonsense knows that's not the case. The army has been actively- even if secretly, campaigning for Yaya (with his blessing) for some time now. So far, their efforts are yet to pay off. The National TV is being used to garner support for Yaya, so is sympathetic news- papers. Yaya himself continues to chastise the Gambian public for "not seeing what they (AFPRC) are doing." Yet, all these efforts have failed to produce the desired results. The heart of the Gambian people is not in a Yaya presidency. And Yaya needs to know that. This is not a rejection of Yaya as a person, it is a rejection of what he embodies. Gambians were disgusted with Jawara and his Corruption Inc. We were looking for a deliverer, and Yaya seemed to fit the bill. But I'm not sure people's disgust with Jawara necessarily translates into a love for an army disguised-as-a-civilian government. Besides, leadership should begin with sticking to one's words. Jawara failed that test over and over. And Yaya has started on the same path. The Choices The Gambia, spurred by Yaya, is at a critical point. Having started several development projects, Yaya needs to stick to his word (which has been his main source of support,) and let the civilians have another go at governing. If civilians mess things up, Yaya with his record, has a great chance of being elected five or ten years down the road in a clean election. If Mathew Kerekou with his dismal record, could win as an opposition candidate in Benin, Yaya sure has one heck of a chance in the future. That's choice One. On the other hand, Yaya can listen to the numerous weather-vane, self-serving opportunists (like Nyimansata Sanneh Bojang) surrounding him, and refuse to hand power to civilians. When (not "if,") the time comes, he will realise what Jawara knows now: most of these so-called "supporters" will be the ones crucifying him. The choices are clear, and Yaya can take his pick. The simple fact is that there won't be a "clean" or "fair" election if Yaya is a candidate. Yaya appointed the so-called Independent Electoral Commission, without any opposition or other outside oversight. He pays their salaries, and will provide "security" for them during the elections. It would be foolish of anyone to even imagine that this commission would be objective in conducting an election which Yaya is contesting. If Yaya wants to contest, the present commission should be dissolved. A new one, made up of an equal number of representatives of Yaya and Opposition parties, and preferably headed by a judge should be appointed. That's the only means of assuring a fair vote. Otherwise, the elections would be nothing but a formal exercise meant to legitimize what would inherently constitute an illegitimate government. The mere fact of Yaya running is intimidating enough. And it is a contradiction of everything he supposedly stands for. If Yaya has no respect for his own public promise, he won't have any respect for the decision of the Gambian people at the polls! The Gambian people have already made their wish known to the NCC: two years for Yaya. This is Yaya's mandate, and it is what legitimizes his rule. Yaya supposedly accepted this fact at the time. Captains Sana Sabally and Sadibou Hydara who -alledgedly, resisted a return to civilian rule were arrested and jailed. Now that those people are out of the picture, Yaya should stick to the NCC's recommendation, and come next month - RESIGN IN DIGNITY. Running for the presidency will symbolize nothing but Yaya's reluctance to give up power. It is very unfortunate that Yaya is developing a serious case of the Charles Taylor syndrome: "I kicked him out; so, I'm the only one qualified to be president." One only has to look at a now very "wonderful" Liberia, to realize how dangerous such thinking is. Should Yaya rig the elections, and history is anything to go by, things would only go down hill from there. The Gambian people do not deserve that fate. What are the choices in the Presidential Election? Yaya is not alone in his mistrust of Gambian politicians. Most of our generation have little faith in career politicians. However, because much of the bag is rotten does not mean that every fruit is bad. I believe either Sheriff Dibba or Sedia Jatta will make a great president. When Yaya and people like me were secretly criticizing Jawara, Dibba was doing it in public. And very articulately! Dibba's constructive criticism in fact forms a major moral basis for Yaya's coup. Dibba needs to be recognized for his tremendous contribution to Gambian democracy as it existed. I do not believe Dibba is corrupt. If he were, we would have seen the evidence a long time ago. Jawara's government produced fifty-nine liars in 1982, so they could convict Sheriff Dibba of treason. They failed, and he was acquitted. If they could go to this length to attempt to send this man to death, they would have gleefully shown Gambians evidence of his corruption just to silence him. They have not. Since taking over, Yaya has dished out medals to all kinds of people. It's too bad that he has failed to remember Sheriff Dibba. As for Sedia Jatta, despite my own serious reservations about socialism, PDOIS more than any party has educated Gambians about their political and civil rights. Their selflessness is commendable. Also, the austere style of living of the PDOIS leadership shows a sensitivity about the economic reality of the Gambia. In the last ten years, PDOIS has created a political style all it's own. Maybe, it's time Sheriff Dibba, or PDOIS lead The Gambia. Yaya owes it to posterity not to stand in the way. LONG LIVE The GAMBIA! August 1996. Saul. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------